The panel for Thursday and Friday, February 16 and 17, is still scheduled.  This is with Judge Glover.

Updates will be posted if received.  Be sure to call 460-6250 Wednesday, February 15 after 4:30pm for a message concerning Jury Duty for the next day.

Chief of Police Eddy Deaton addressed the City Council Thursday evening on warrant issues the department is having due to mix-ups in District Court. He told the Council that over the past few years people were being arrested on warrants for fines that they had already paid.

He stated that when someone comes in to pay a fine before their court date, the court docket does not change to reflect the payment. When the court date comes and the Judge calls for that person and they are not there, a warrant will be issued for their arrest, even though they already paid their fine.

Chief Deaton stated that he and Court Clerk Yukiko Shepherd had been working on the problem and, ““I think we’ve got that issue resolved.”

Deaton also informed the Council that two dispatchers came in and worked for 12 hours, looking over 41 warrants, to make sure they were valid. They were checked three different ways.

In order to take care of the legitimate warrants the City has Chief Deaton said, “We’re going to have a warrant round up, when I get enough warrants that are verified and good, we’re going to have extra officers come in at 5:00 in the morning, and we’re going to start knocking on doors. We’re going to start taking people to jail.” “I visited with Judge Harper this morning and he’s given myself and the sheriff the authority to do this.”

Chief Deaton and Sheriff Gober are going to meet about the issue of uncollected fines, and come up with a percentage of money that they should take off of the total fine, in order to help people begin to pay fines back.

“If it’s $500 we collect $100, give them a court date and cut them loose.” –Deaton

Money collected in this manner would go directly to paying off the fines.

Beverly Hudson asked Chief Deaton if new technology was needed in District Court to keep the warrant issues from occurring in the future. Deaton responded that, “district court probably needs to look at some new software.”

He stated it would be a time consuming process to “clean up” the issues the Court has but, “I’m willing to take the time to look at it and make it right. So we can make good arrests, valid arrests.”

Flaring frustrations resulted in the Mayor having a confrontation with a bailiff, and Judge Ken Harper found himself with pending criminal charges after the way he chose to deal with MEDC Executive Director Nita McDaniel.

District Judge Ken Harper was reprimanded and censured by the state judicial discipline commission after DWI charge.

The charges stem from a double fatality accident on Highway 52 in North Crossett on Oct. 6, 2010.

Click here for AshleyCountyLedger.com‘s full report in the case.

Usually that announcement is made because a plea bargain has been reached.  That is not the case, this time.

The defendant for today’s trial, James Green, Jr., was shot in the leg, last Wednesday night, in a confrontation on Kennedy Blvd., and is being treated for his injuries  According to reports, the suspect in the shooting has left the area.

Green’s is charged with failing to register as a sex offender.  His jury trial will be rescheduled.

At Monday’s session of Quorum Court, Drew County judge Damon Lampkin swore in Steve Morrison to fulfill the position of member Ron Echols.

Governor Mike Beebe appointed Morrison.

Although Gibson was a potential juror, he was not selected to serve on the jury.

Green, age 28 of Monticello, was charged with Contempt of Court, and public intoxication. 

He again went before Judge Ken Harper on Thursday, for his first appearance hearing.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, a total of 668 individual cases went before the judge, during what is called a “plea day”, when cases are divided between those who plead “guilty” and “not guilty”.

On a Wednesday session, earlier this month, Judge Kenneth Harper was called as a witness.  In June, there was an altercation, which led to the arrest of one of that day’s defendants.  Since Judge Harper was presiding, he was called as a witness.  Judge Harper is shown here, being sworn in by Hamburg District Judge Reid Harrod, who served as judge for the case.

Stewart was also told to make his “best efforts to insure that bonded persons appear in court, and are on time”, and to bring full, proper documentation of his bonding activity that are on that day’s court docket.  Judge Gibson added, “I want it to be done professionally, with no mistakes made.”

One specific topic of discussion was when Judge Gibson asked if he had provided ”bail bonds on credit” or if “partial payment” had been accepted.

Judge Gibson made note in the court’s record that the Circuit Judges were signing an order requiring “any commercial bail bond be paid in full, before any bond is issued.  No credit shall be extended.” 

Recently Saline County judges signed a court order outlawing payment plans on bail premiums.  According to Collateral  (a bail bonding industry magazine) in a related  June 23 article, “the Arkansas constitution requires bail bondsmen collect a 10% premium.” 

Examples:  If a bond is set at $1,000, then $100 (10%) is the bail bond cost, plus $70 in required fees, for a total of $170.
If a bond is set at $10,000, then $1,000 (10%) is the bail bond cost, plus $70 in fees, for a total of $1,070. 

Judge Gibson said in court that the bonding process “has to be done on a level playing field.”

Judge Gibson suspended Stewart’s ability to serve a bail bond agent, until he provided the court with a list of all of his clients, as well as their status.  Stewart provided Judge Gibson’s office with that information later that day, allowing his bonding privilege to be re-instated.