‘There is more to this than meets the eye’
Man with new identity gets his day in court
news@theeveningtimes.com
The jail and the courtroom was full of defendants partly because there was no court on Good Friday at West Memphis District Court where Judge Fred Thorne presides.
A woman and man were called up together in jail with felony charges of possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
“Where do you live,” asked the judge of the man. “Marion.”
“Do you work?”
“Naw….no, sir.”
“I am the person who sets your bond today. If you say naw one more time, I’ll set your bond way up.”
He then asked the woman where she lived.
“I am in-between a place to stay.”
“You can both talk to the public defender.”
A man charged with felony charges of possession of schedule six drugs was also asked where he lived.
“Marion, right now.”
“See the public defender.”
Another man was charged with felony drug possession and drug paraphernalia.
“Do you have means to hire an attorney?”
“My momma do. I think she in court.”
“Momma, are you here?”
asked the judge.
“I’m here.”
“Are you going to hire an attorney for him?”
“I don’t know. I guess I will.”
“You know this won’t help him, don’t you?”“Yes, I do.”
A woman in jail was 17 years old.
“Do you have a parent here?”
“My grandfather is there.” “Where is his mother?”
“She is baby-sitting,” said the grandfather.
“There is something wrong when a person this young is charged with a felony and his parents aren’t here.”
A man charged with felony delivery of cocaine was asked where he lived.
“West Memphis.”
“Do you have means to hire an attorney?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I won’t appoint the public defender for you.”
A man with possession of drug paraphernalia and theft by receiving was asked where he lived.
“Hughes.”
“Do you have means to hire an attorney?”
“No.”
“Do you work?”
“I don’t. I get a check for my leg.”
“How much is your check?”
“Barely enough to make my bills.”
“I asked you how much your check was.”
“$1100 a month.”
“Who do you have to support out of that?”
“Me, my kids and my old lady.”
“This is going to be a long day,” said the judge. “I do not appreciate it when a man calls his wife or mother of his children ‘my old lady.’” The next man with felony assault charges was asked, “Do you have means to hire an attorney?”
“My momma in there.”
“Are you here mother?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Don’t leave, I’ll set his bond later.”
There were many in the jail and in the courtroom so after the judge gave his speech about how to plead, he decided to start with the people in the courtroom first instead of doing the jail cases first.
A man was charged with careless driving and pled no contest.
“I was on private property at school. A car was using the entry as an exit and stopped short. We barely scraped each other.”
“Do you drive a school bus?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Pay $35 plus court costs.”
A man in the courtroom was charged with driving on suspended and pled not guilty.
“Have you changed your name? I knew you by your other name. Your trial is set for two weeks from now.
You have tickets by your other name. There is more to this than meets the eye.”
The next man was asked how old he was.
“18.”
“Do you have a parent with you?”
“Yes.”
“How do you plead to careless driving?”“No contest.”
“What grade are you in school?”
“I am in college at Mid-South.”
“Do you work?”
“Yes. In Memphis.”
“Did you hit a pole?”
“Yes.”
“Momma, don’t look at him. He can go to driver’s school and pay $75 court costs or he can do four hours community service and go to driver’s school.
Which do you want mom?” “Community service.”
“Good choice.”
A man with expired tags pled no contest.
“What do you have to tell me?”
“My tags weren’t out.”
“Change his plea to not guilty and we will have a trial.”
A man charged with driving on suspended and no insurance pled guilty to both charges.
“It is not my car.”
“It is your car if you are driving it.”
“I’m not driving today.”
“Who is that with you?”
“My fiancé’.”
“How long has she been your fiancé’?”
“22 years.”
“Do you have a job?”
“I get SSI.”
“$235 plus court costs and two days house arrest on the driving on suspended.
$295 plus court costs on the insurance.”
Another young man was called up.
“How old are you?”
“17.”
“Do you have a parent with you?”
“Yes. My sister.”
“No, I said parent. I will see you next Monday and you bring a parent, not your sister.”
The next woman was asked, “Did you get a letter from your eye doctor?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The report says you need glasses to drive.”
“They are in the making right now.”
“You can’t drive till you get those glasses. If you have another wreck with no glasses you are going to jail.”
A man charged with careless driving pled guilty.
“Do you work?”
“Not working now. I’m between jobs. I’m going back to Chicago.”
“You’ll be back. Everyone that goes to Chicago comes back here. That will be $55 plus court costs. Good luck with your job.”
A young woman came up next.
“How do you plead to speeding?”
“No contest.”
“Are you in school?”
“No. I graduated and I work.”
“What are you going to school for?”
“To be a chef.”
“Does Mid-South have a class for that?”
“Yes.”
“What is your specialty?
French Fries? Do you have a CDL?”
“No, sir.”
“$45 plus court costs and go to driver’s school.”
There were many more young people, people with no driver’s licenses and belligerent people. Court continued till late.
