‘ Why were you acting a fool at the Family Dollar store?’

‘ Why were you acting a fool at the Family Dollar store?’

Judge Thorne wants answers to the hard- hitting questions

By the Evening Times News Staff

news@theeveningtimes.com

A woman in jail was charged with failure to satisfy her back fines. She pled no contest.

“You owe $723.47. Why haven’t you paid your fines?” Judge Fred Thorne asked the woman in the West Memphis District Court.

“I haven’t got a job.”

“You have to pay bills and you have to pay us. 19 days jail or pay $350 today and get back on your payment plan.”

The next man in jail was told, “Another one of my regulars. I’ve seen you 30 times in 15 years. Go talk to the public defender. You might be staying in jail,” said Judge Thorne.

A man and a woman were called up together.

“Where do you live?”

“Louisiana.”

“You are both charged with loitering and public intoxication. How do you plead?” The man spoke, “I want to plead not guilty.”

The woman spoke, “I also want to plead not guilty to both charges.”

“If you make bond you can come back on October 17th for your trial. Or you can sit in jail until your trial.”

A man charged with disorderly conduct pled guilty.

“Why were you cursing the police so much?”

“I was mad.”

“What were you mad about?”

“My sister put me out.”

“Who do you live with?”

“My sister and my mother.” “How much rent do you pay?”

“None.”

“I’d put you out, too, if you don’t pay any rent. Do you get a check?”

“No, sir.”

“Have you ever had a job?” “Yes, sir.”

“10 days. Maybe your sister will love you and want you back after you’ve been in jail for 10 days.”

The next man called up in jail was told, “We have been dealing with each other about 20 years now. Why were you acting a fool at the Family Dollar store?”

“I wasn’t acting a fool.”

“Jail, we need to get him evaluated. Put him back on the docket for Monday.”

A woman’s name in jail was called.

“I’m tired of you coming to my court every week.”

“I just want to go home,” said the woman.

“No, go see the public defender. I get at least five calls a week on you.”

A man in the courtroom who had an attorney was told to go see the DWI lady. A woman in the courtroom was charged with careless driving and pled no contest. “I was driving down 55 North and I missed my exit. I lost control on a steep curve and I panicked. I though I was lost.”

“Pay $195 plus court costs and I’ll keep it off your record.”

A woman charged with no proof of insurance pled guilty.

“Did you have insurance?” “No, I got it after.”

“Did you get it at Craft’s?” “Yes.”

“$225 plus court costs.”

A young woman who had entered the court earlier with her mother and had been told by the judge that he liked the fact that she looked presentable, was called up.

“Bring your mother on up with you. How do you plead to no driver’s license and failure to stop?”

“No contest.”

The mother spoke, “I got off work and I picked her up. I was tired.”

“So it was your fault she got a ticket?”

“Yes.”

“Do you realize you could have gotten a ticket?”

“Yes.”

“Have you graduated high school?” asked Judge Thorne of the defendant.

“Yes. I work.”

“How many hours a week?”

“I work part time.”

“You ran a stop sign and left the scene?”

“I was scared. I didn’t have a driver’s license.”

“How many hours do you work a week?”

“12 hours a day. Sometimes 5 to 5,” said the mother.

“So how many hours a week?”

“12 hours a day, you add it up.”

“No you add it up! $195 plus court costs on each charge. One minute you work part time and one minute full time. Three days contempt. If you had a better attitude I would have given you community service.”

A man in court had his license suspended out of Marion for DWI.

“$1100 fine has been paid. He owes $100 for reinstatement,” said the court clerk.

“If everything is paid I’ll dismiss the tag charges,” said Judge Thorne.

A man in the courtroom was called.

“Come on up with your nightshirt on! What do you plead to no proof of insurance?”

“No contest.” He showed his paperwork to the bailiff. “There is a gap in the insurance on the day of your ticket.”

“My sister dropped the insurance and I picked it back up.”

“Why didn’t you just say that in the first place? $195 plus costs.”

A woman in the courtroom charged with driving on suspended and no seatbelt pled not guilty to both charges.

“Be back here for your trial on October 17. I would have had a heart attack if you had pled no contest.”

Awoman who had an attorney speak for her was sentenced with house arrest.

“You got lucky with that one on a driving on suspended,” said the judge.

A woman with a hot check charged pled guilty.

“Have you paid this off?”

“I didn’t know it was out there or I would have already paid it.” “Be back here in two weeks with proof you paid the check.”

Aman walking out with the lady asked Judge Thorne, “Does your lawn look good? I am the one who sprayed it.”

“My cat got sick after you did that. It cost me $200.” A man charged with public intoxication and failure to appear pled guilty.

“Why didn’t you come to court?”

“I forgot.”

“You can’t forget to come to court! “

“Where do you work?”

“O’Charley’s.”

“How long?”

“Nine years?”

“That is real good. Most people in here haven’t worked nine weeks. Why were you out drinking?”

“I was at a party on Broadway.”

“I’ll dismiss the public intoxication. $100 plus court costs on the failure to appear.”

“His license is suspended. He also needs to pay his reinstatement fee to get it back,” said the court clerk.

“Go pay your reinstatement fee!”

“Yes, sir.

Judge Fred Thorne