‘I have never been in court before and I’m having a heart attack hearing all this stuff’

‘I have never been in court before and I’m having a heart attack hearing all this stuff’

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A man in jail charged with felony burglary was told, “Do you realize you could get up to 20 years in the penitentiary?” by Judge Fred Thorne of West Memphis District Court. “Do you have the means to hire an attorney?”

“No, sir.”

“Do you get a check?”

“Yes, sir. SSI disability.”

“See the public defender.”

The next man was charged with a felony DWI IV.

“Where do you live?”

“I stay in Earle.”

“Are you employed?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where?”

“I work for a local contractor.”

“Was one of your coworkers here lately?”

“Yes, sir.”

“See the public defender.”

A woman in jail with a felony possession of drug paraphernalia was asked, “Do you live in Earle?”

“No, sir.”

“Did you ever live there?”

“No, sir.”

“But, I know you don’t I?” “Yes, sir.”

“Do you have means to hire an attorney?”

“No, sir.”

“Were do you live?”

“With my grandmother.”

“Do you get a check?”

“No.”

“Does your granny support you?”

“Not necessarily.”

“Then who supports you?” “I get food stamps and I go to the 8th Street Mission for clothes.”

“Do you have kids?”

“I have three kids.”

“Who is watching your kinds now?”

“They are with their father.”

Another man in jail, with a felony charge of delivery of Schedule I or II drugs was asked, “Where do you live?”

“West Memphis.”

“Are you employed?”

“No, sir.”

“How do you support yourself?”

“I cut yards and stuff.”

“What will you do next month when there are no yards to cut?”

“I rake leaves.”

“How much do you make?”

“Depends on how many yards I cut.”

“Now you are getting crossways with me. See the public defender.”

The next man in jail with a felony criminal mischief charge was asked, “When is the last time I saw you?”

“Three years ago.”

“What yards do you cut?”

“I don’t cut yards. I start a new job on Monday.”

“See the public defender.

Maybe we can set your bail today so you can make your job on Monday.”

A woman with a felony charge of possession of drug paraphernalia was asked, “Where do you live?”

“West Memphis.”

“Do you get a check?”

“Yes.”

“Are you employed?”

“No. That’s it.”

“See the public defender.”

“Uh hum.”

“I’m going on my soap box for one minute. How many never have been here before? I’m here all the time. I try to help someone and now they are back in jail. Everyone wants me to respect them. That’s a twoway street. I respect you…

that is why I get upset when people come in here in torn-up pants, looking like they slept in their nightshirt and say ‘Uhhuh.’ You could at least say ‘yes, sir,’ the short time you are in here.”

A man in jail was called up. An officer was in the courtroom and handed papers to the judge.

“I have a waiver of extradition here for you to go back to Tennessee. You can stay in here another week for trial or I can sign this waiver and you can be taken back to Tennessee.”

“Sign it.”

A man in the jail was charged with loitering and pled no contest.

“You were sleeping in somebody’s yard.”

“No, sir. I was waiting for the bus and the man said I could sit at his place out of the cold till the bus came.”

“When did you go to jail?” “Monday.”

“Jail let him out at noon.

He can eat lunch first, if he wants to, then let him out.”

A woman in jail also charged with loitering pled no contest. To her charge of public intoxication she pled no contest also.

“I was just leaving my Dad’s house near Pancho’s walking to McDonald’s to get something to eat.”

“What required you to stop at the motel and knock on doors?”

“I was looking for my friend.”

“$375 plus court costs on the public intoxication. I’ll dismiss the loitering.”

A woman in the courtroom stood up when her son was called up at the jail.

“The day he left here, he went to school and got four new charges,” she said.

“I tried to help him and he gets four new charges? I told him to go to Mid-South Health and he didn’t go. Send Mid-South out here to talk to him. I want

Judge Fred Thorne him back on the docket at 1:30 Wednesday with a report from Mid-South.”

A man in the courtroom was charged with no tags and no insurance. He pled no contest to both charges.

“Do you have insurance now?”

“The car is parked.”

“So that means the answer is no?”

“Yes.”

“$305 plus court costs on the insurance. I’ll dismiss the tags.”

The man gave the judge a look and he answered, “Yes, you have to have some money today.”

A man in jail was charged with harassment and public intoxication. He pled no contest but said, “I didn’t touch her.”

“Call her and have her come in. I want to hear from her.”

In a few minutes the woman arrived.

“What do you have to say?”

“He choked me out in front of the kids till I passed out.”

“I could tell by the pictures you weren’t born with those bruises. He is to sign a no-contact order. $750 plus courts costs, one year suspended to 180 days jail.

$250 plus court costs on the public intoxication. Don’t get back with him!”

“I won’t! He did it in front of all five kids.”

“I don’t care if it was five, three or one.!”

Two mothers, when given the choice of fines or four days community service for their teen-aged children both chose for them to do the community service.

A woman in the courtroom pled no contest to reckless driving.

“Are you a truck driver?”

“No. I was a drill instructor in the Navy for 14 years and now I am a registered nurse.”

“Did you have insurance?” “Oh, yes, sir. I have never been in court before and I’m having a heart attack hearing all this stuff. I’m 62 and have never heard this kind of stuff before.”

“I’m older than you,” said the judge. “I know. That is why I call you, sir!” “I’ll dismiss this. You

show the way people should act. Come back any time.”

“No, sir! You can have it!”

By the Evening Times News Staff