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Number of offenders serving prison time up slightly

Published 12:00am Sunday, August 5, 2012

NATCHEZ — More criminal cases crossing the bench in Adams County are resulting in prison time lately, according to a review of court records.

The increase — up 10 percent — is based on the last four months compared to the last quarter of 2011.

From September to November, of the 55 felony indictments resolved in Adams County, only 11 defendants, or 20 percent, were sentenced to serve any time behind prison bars.

More recently, from April to July, of the 55 felony indictments resolved in Adams County, 17 criminal offenders, or 30 percent, were sentenced to serve prison time.

Last December, Adams County Sheriff Chuck Mayfield expressed disappointment with a pattern of what he considered light sentencing in some court cases. Mayfield claimed, at the time, that law enforcement was not getting the backup it needed from the judicial system.

Mayfield said Thursday, though, that more recently, he hasn’t had any problems with the conclusions of the criminal cases that his office initially investigated.

Mayfield said his best measurement of court case results comes from his deputies. When a deputy, often one who worked the case, feels that a court sentence was unjust, Mayfield usually hears about it, he said.

“I can’t remember in the last few months anybody coming (to me) and being upset about how somebody was handled,” Mayfield said. “And usually that’s how I gauge it by.”

Circuit Court Judge Forrest “Al” Johnson was on the bench for 27 cases that were resolved from April to July. Circuit Court Judge Lillie Blackmon Sanders resolved 28 cases in that period. Both judges served one term each in that period.

Of the 55 recent cases, Johnson sentenced seven people to serve time, and Sanders sentenced 10 people to serve time.

Last year, in the September to November period, Johnson served seven people to prison time, and Sanders served four people to prison time.

Forty-nine of the 55 offenders pleaded guilty between April and July to one or more of the charges in which they were indicted. Indictments of six offenders were dismissed by the district attorney’s office before a sentence could be handed down.

No jury trials were conducted from April to July in Adams County.

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  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    Judges aren’t doing their jobs letting the crimnals go free and the victims suffer here in Adams County! The poor law enforcement putting their lifes on the line to catch these convicts and then the DA and judges turn them lose especialy during drug deals!! These convicts have years of offenses and they still turn them lose and some end up killing and this is when the judges should serve time in the big house for letting these convicts go!! 

  • https://plus.google.com/101785462960818953428/posts Wilson Phillips

    It wasn’t just the Sheriff that was expressing disappointment. Many of the citizens of the county and city were upset about it. Some of us raised quite a bit of hell about it right here in these comment sections. Judge Charlie Vess was man enough to get on here and discuss it with us. He understood where we were coming from. I have a lot of respect for him. I wish the other judges had done the same.

    I am happy to see improvement in this area.

    Now, let’s turn our attention to the District Attorney, who plea deals every case, because he is afraid to go to trial. I don’t know if he is just incompetent, or if he thinks that we can’t afford to actually try criminal cases in front of a jury, but changes are needed. We need to see some improvement in his office, or we can replace him in the next election.

  • Anonymous

    Harper was quoted as saying they don’t take plea bargains, however, they consult their crystal ball and drop some charges in hopes the perp will plead guiilty on the others.  Isn’t that essentially the same confession?  I would believe the crystal ball is usually the perp’s attorney.

  • Anonymous

    ND, thanks for the followup.  One area that was not addressed was the racial makeup of the persons sentenced by both judges.  Most of us have seen Sanders’ wrist slapping of black defendants on very serious crimes and no similar focus on Johnson other than the recent episode.  I note with interest that Johnson’s record stayed consistent over the two sample periods, however, Sanders’ statistics took a decided upturn in the second.  Were her cases more white during the second period, or is she trying to change her moniker to LEU Lillie? (Lock ‘Em Up instead of Let ‘Em Loose).  If she is racist, she does not need to be on the bench.

  • Anonymous

    Where are the other sources for this article? This is insufficient to only quote one person, when the article concerns the entire judicial system. 

  • Anonymous

    A suspended sentence should come with a mandatory  ‘caning’ like they do in other countries. Or put them in stocks in front of the court house.  When I was growing up and I did something wrong, I got my backside torn up,  I thought twice about doing it again.  Just sayin…

  • http://www.facebook.com/smartypart Becky Burns

    i don,t see how you can be proud of vest when he let a child molester off with 2years suspended sentence and 6 month probation and not have tp register as a sex offender,because the molester got on the stand and said he could not make it in prison .

  • http://www.facebook.com/smartypart Becky Burns

    The D.A. is no better, if you get the chance read the Rinadi Report in the Natchez Sun …… they want to prosecute the underage victim instead of the sex offender, he still has to go to court in Concordia Parish …..Hopefully they will not drop the ball as Adams County did.

  • Anonymous

    It’s way past the time for this. It’s still under par to what it should be. Stop the plea dealing and get them to prison where they belong.  

  • Anonymous

    Vess is in the same boat as Harper, Johnson, Sanders, Hudson, and that ilk.  Just because he comments on here doesn’t change anything.  What a ridiculous comment Vess made about the guy that got off for dog fighting.  He would have him cleaning dog poop for a month.  Yea, right, that’ll teach him.  The criminals have gotta be just laughing their behinds off at the D.A. and judges around here. I am. Just imagine them. Remember all this at election time.

  • Anonymous

    Judge Sanders rate of incarceration vs. Judge Johnsons is higher in the last few months and that is a good thing. But, lets put the blame where it belongs. Right squarely on the shoulders of the district atty. Ronnie Harper. No plea deals! come on. when you agree to drop charges to let the poor little criminal off thats a plea deal. If it clogs up the criminal justice system,so what. Build a bigger jail. keep letting them off and they keep coming back. the only deal they need is just perhaps a lesser sentence if they agree to plead guilty and not receive the maximum sentence. also let the sentence run consecutively. and they also have a bad habit ,if they catch(or when) a probation violater; they will not prosecute him/her on the new charge(it is retired to the files), they only revoke the probation. Quit letting these thugs terriorize  this community time after time. IT IS A REVOLVING DOOR POLICY. And when they get to MDOC then its chris epps turn. they dont even serve what little time the judge gives them. check the web site at the S.O. They let you know who is getting out. Also someone mentioned the racial make-up at the jail. even though the population is about 50/50 the jail has an overwhelming population of young black males. I could go on,but who really cares!

  • Anonymous

    Please explain your statement that the population at the jail is about 50/50 which is an overwhelming population of young black males?  If you are stating the population of NAC is about 50/50, that is correct, but look in the crime reports published by ND daily and see the overwheming percentage of crimes being committed by young black men, thus resulting in more of them in the jail population.  Equal opportunity abounds in the justice system, if you commit a crime regardless of race, you will be arrested.  There has been many comments on here about the need for the black community to do something internally to put a stop to this alarming trend, but not much has been publicized of any actions taken. You cannot suspend the legal system because there is an imbalance of this sort.

  • Anonymous

    Gee Ms. Burns……sorry you did not like my decision……but that is what is was and plan to stick by it!!  Mr. Rinaldi got “most” of facts right but there is more than was written and maybe we can have discussion here at court anytime.  First setting aside the fact that the punishment on the child molester was an AGREED recommendation by the district attorney’s office and the defense attorney the mother testified her daughter had physical relations with at least 4 other men.  Why was she not going after them as a felony too?  Second defendant had no prior charges unlike the many repeat offenders I have to deal with who get deals cut in the higher courts only to reappear in front of me weeks or months later.  Finally, the vicitm herself said she did not want the defendant to go to jail at all…..I listened, but still gave him 2 years suspended down to 30 days and am holding 23 months in my pocket for the next 2 years should he decide to break the law again. Also, out of fairness to the young lady in question, I felt putting her through a “detailed” cross examination on her exploits would be more harmful to her.  I plan to see that the defendant does everything he agreed too or he goes to jail.   Mr. Rinaldi is a personal friend and he, you, or any member of the public are welcome in my court anytime and can question my decisions……I do take exception though when a member of the press calls and tells me they are watching my decisions and if I don’t become the moral police then they will write a negative article.  Apparently though for almost a quarter of a century the community has supported me with being re-elected 6 times.   Thanks for your post and God Bless!!

  • Anonymous

    Thank you Mr. Phillips for your comments….I have always to try to respond to questions.  The law is complex and the people in the system are shall I say “interesting”!!  I don’t always know what their agenda is….but the DA is a good man with a tough job to do.  

  • Anonymous

    That’s the dumbest comment I’ve read on the democrat comment board ever.

  • Anonymous

    sorry for the confusion that is what i meant. population is 50/50 not jail population

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    Hey Pard, I don’t really care what you think for you are probably one of the judges taxpayers are talking about not enforceing the law as it should be so go take a hike dumb A–!!!

    In a message dated 8/6/2012 3:55:23 P.M. Central Daylight Time, notifications@disqus.net writes:

    (http://disqus.com/)

    AtlRebel wrote, in response to khakirat:
    That’s the dumbest comment I’ve read on the democrat comment board ever.
    _Link to comment_ (http://redirect.disqus.com/url?url=http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2012/08/05/number-of-offenders-serving-prison-time-up-slightly/#co mment-611358684:GH_0iArmxBnnjEGRSUIabcwnrS4&imp=7b502b51-c674-45ee-892e-fcb4 c855d728&zone=notifications.clicks&forum=natchezdemocrat&thread=792996739)

  • Anonymous

    Your reply did not acknowledge the other comments included in my reply regarding the reason for the imbalance – comments?

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