‘ Did this guy use the f- word?’
‘ Did this guy use the f- word?’
How to earn a contempt charge in no time in Judge Thorne’s courtroom
news@theeveningtimes.com
In West Memphis District Court on Friday one woman and two men with felony charges were called forward in the jail.
“Do you work?” asked Judge Fred Thorne of the woman.
“No.”
He asked the same question of the first man.
“No.”
“Well lets make it complete, do you work,” asked Judge Thorne of the last man.
“No.”
“Why were you going through Arkansas?”
“We were going to see my mother in Texas,” said the woman.
“All of you go talk to the public defender on the phone. Your mother may have to come here to see you.”
Two women in jail were called up together.
“How do you pled to DWI 1?”
“Guilty,” said the first woman.
“How do you plead to refusal to take the test?”
“Not guilty.”
“And careless driving?”
“Not guilty.”
“How do you pled to DWI 1?”
“No contest,” said the second woman. “Refusal to take the test?” “Guilty.”
“And careless driving?”
“No contest.”
“Both of you go talk to the DWI lady. I will set your trial date on the other charges.”
A man and a woman in jail were also called up together. The man was asked, “How do you plead to parking in a prohibited area?”
“No contest.”
“Possession of drug paraphernalia?”
“Not guilty.”
The woman was asked, “How do you pled to obstruction of justice?” “Guilty.”
“Possession of drug paraphernalia?”
“Guilty. The drug stuff was mine, not his.”
“Set the trial date and I’ll decide then who was at fault. The trial date is July 18 at 1:30 p.m.”
A woman charged with loitering pled not guilty and was instructed to talk to the public defender.
A woman with two counts of controlled substance also pled not guilty.
“Is there anyone here with this lady?” asked Judge Thorne.
“Your trial date is July 18. See if you can get someone to come here for you.”
A man in jail was charged with obstruction of justice and pled guilty.
“How did you come up with the name Don Gage? Did you see it on a sign?”
“No, I said Don Gade.”
“$350 plus court costs.”
A man in jail pled no contest to theft. “The report says you got a cell phone.”
“It was already out of the case and I just picked it up.” “Why did you put it in your right front pocket? $750 plus court costs and 10 days jail.”
A woman in jail was asked by Judge Thorne, “Why did you run away from Support Solutions? Do they mistreat you?”
“They stand in my doorway and make me keep it open just because I’m crying. I’ve been there three years. They put me down because I wouldn’t eat.”
“Go talk to the public defender.”
The representative from Support Solutions said, “They changed her meds and now she is saying she wants to die. We have to have her door open to keep an eye on her.”
Two men were called up in the jail and were charged with theft. One pled no contest and the other pled guilty. “Why did you try to steal from Walmart?”
“I didn’t steal. I was just with him.”
“$750 plus court costs and 10 days each.”
“Well, f….”
“Come back to the microphone. Why did you say that?”
“I didn’t say it. It was him.” “Jail, did this guy use the fword?”
“Yes sir. It was him.”
“10 more days for contempt. That is plus the first 10 days. I’ll give them both 10 more days if they want it.”
A man in the courtroom pled not guilty to DWI, refusal and driving on suspended.
“It is almost automatic jail time when you are drunk with a driving on suspended. Get a trial date.”
A man came forward in the courtroom.
“How old are you?”
“19.”
“How do you pled to no driver’s license?”
“Not guilty.”
“How do you pled to no seatbelt?”
“Not guilty.”
“Let me see your driver’s license?”
“I don’t have a driver’s license.”
His mother came forward with him.
“He better have a pocket full of money when he comes back for his trial on May 24th.”
“He wasn’t driving,” said his mother.
“Don’t say anything. He pled not guilty.”
“But….”
“See you in court.”
Judge Fred Thorne
By the Evening Times News Staff
