Defendants barred from entering court arrested for being late

Whitney · Mar 8, 2016

Ran across this on the interwebbs this afternoon.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/crime-...show-2d7ac08e-4a20-4080-e053-0-371336111.html

Judge claims bailiff misunderstood the meaning of .... bar the door / bar entry.

FUQ:
Suzanne Webb was barred from entering Campbell County General Sessions Court and then arrested for being late, records show.
Webb is not alone.

A News Sentinel investigation into Judge Amanda Sammons' practice of barring entry by the public to the public courtroom over which she presides as she sounds her docket revealed more than a half dozen instances in which Sammons ordered defendants arrested after being made late by her own policy.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the state's adult courtrooms and the hearings taking place within them are open to the public. To close a courtroom to the public, one of the parties involved in the case must request a closure and prove why the need for closure outweighs the public interest. A judge then decides.

~Whitney

Freedom1Man · Mar 8, 2016

Wow, lock them out and then arrest them for not being allowed to enter.

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OC for ME · Mar 9, 2016

Suzanne Webb must lose here license to practice law and be fired. No further employment with the government or the legal profession. Let her work at KFC to earn a living.

solus · Mar 9, 2016

uh, guys, hate to break it to ya but ms Webb is the individual who got arrested...and Judge Amanda Sammon who,

quote: Amanda H. Sammons is a judge for the Campbell County General Sessions Court and the Campbell County Juvenile Court in Tennessee. She was elected in August 2014, effective September 1. Her term expires on August 31, 2022.

Sammons received her J.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville

Sammons ran for election to the Campbell County General Sessions Court.
General: She defeated Joseph M. Ayers and Kathy Parrot in the general election on August 7, 2014, receiving 39 percent of the vote.
unquote https://ballotpedia.org/Amanda_H._Sammons

quote: She has been accused of refusing to sign orders for accused persons who are entitled to have their records expunged, and ordering children into foster care in the absence of any request from the Department of Child Services.

Formerly a kick-ass prosecutor, Judge Sammons’ election website says:

“With a low tolerance for foolishness, Mandy’s tough approach to prosecuting crime has earned her a reputation as hard-nosed prosecutor who “goes for the jugular” and doesn’t quickly back down from a fight.”
unquote https://ballotpedia.org/Amanda_H._Sammons

this is why you will not be able to recall...she is part of the good olde boy judicial system...

lovely individual...ya'll can keep her honor...

ipse

color of law · Mar 9, 2016

The problem is this is typical conduct by many judged across America.

OC for ME · Mar 9, 2016

solus said:
uh, guys, hate to break it to ya but ms Webb is the individual who got arrested...and Judge Amanda Sammon who,

...

ipse

Dang...another indiscriminate and tragic drive-by copy/paste...

...thanks for the correction...

Shovelhead · Mar 9, 2016

I don't get it.
A 09:00 court start means you should be inside the courtroom before 09:00, not arriving at the front door of the courthouse at 09:00.
It's not that difficult.
My father taught me, "If you're not 30 minutes early, you're late".

Freedom1Man · Mar 9, 2016

Shovelhead said:
I don't get it.
A 09:00 court start means you should be inside the courtroom before 09:00, not arriving at the front door of the courthouse at 09:00.
It's not that difficult.
My father taught me, "If you're not 30 minutes early, you're late".

I do not know how many times you've been to court.

From my experience if the start time is 0900 the judge does not even show up until 0915. While some judges do show up at 0900 they ask the prosecutor who is ready. They then heard the ready short cases after that they hear whomever is next. Being there 30 minutes early means you pay another 5-20$ in parking fees.

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MAC702 · Mar 9, 2016

I remember a field trip to a municipal court when I was in elementary school. Everyone had to be seated before court began, and the only way to get into the court room after it began was to have a really good reason, and to be escorted in by a bailiff. The doors were locked. One could quietly leave at any time, but the same criteria was used for reentry. Seemed to make for a more dignified courtroom with a lot less distractions.

Should a courtroom's dignity be that high of a priority, though? I guess I could have mixed feelings about it.

I've always found tardiness to be one of my biggest pet peeves. I find it hard to blame a judge for having a low tolerance of it for a courtroom appearance, but I don't give her a white card for it, either. I sure hope she treats the defendant with an excuse of "a train derailed on my way to court" better than one that just didn't care to get there on time.

One should not be required by law to own a suit, but on the other hand (and in the same vein (how is that possible?), I have no sympathy for people who show up to court in shorts and sandals.

Shovelhead · Mar 9, 2016

Freedom1Man said:
I do not know how many times you've been to court.

From my experience if the start time is 0900 the judge does not even show up until 0915. While some judges do show up at 0900 they ask the prosecutor who is ready. They then heard the ready short cases after that they hear whomever is next. Being there 30 minutes early means you pay another 5-20$ in parking fees.

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I've driven from Arlington to Chesterfield for a court date.
That's about 2 hours for those interested.
I arrived an hour early, found which courtroom I was supposed to be in, and waited for the courtroom doors to open.
This ain't rocket surgery.
If you're late, suck it up and pay the "late tax".
Next time, you won't be late.
As for the "whopping parking fees", balance that against the time it will take to get the legal knots untangled from being late... Or don't do stuff that gets you a day in court.

Whitney · Mar 9, 2016

Tortoise Nervosa

A little levity.

[video=youtube;tFADFSI7Z4Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFADFSI7Z4Q[/video]

Notwithstanding the fact of tardiness there is yet a perceived issue of a closed public proceeding.

Does the Judge close the court to the public, or simply prevent entry upon sounding of the docket?

~Whitney

color of law · Mar 9, 2016

It is unconstitutional to close the court room to the public while the court is doing its business. That would constitute a secrete trial or Star Chamber. The U.S. Supreme Court said that a Star Chamber symbolized the disregard of one of the most basic individual rights, a public trial.

davidmcbeth · Mar 15, 2016

Whitney said:
A little levity.

Notwithstanding the fact of tardiness there is yet a perceived issue of a closed public proceeding.

Does the Judge close the court to the public, or simply prevent entry upon sounding of the docket?

~Whitney

never saw that scene ... that show had some funny moments.

However, getting to the threads premise. I was recently kicked out of a courtroom...I was wearing a hat prior to the court being in session and one of the cops demanded I remove it. There's no law or rule saying you have to remove your hat simply because you are in a courtroom so I told him to FO. So I got booted out. I had a hearing that morning..about 10 min after I got booted out. The cops told the guys on the front door security detail never to let me in again.

A traffic case, still yet to be resolved, ... what do judges do when you are not there? They issue out failure to appear warrants (a misdemeanor).

So here I am outside the court house and would not be let in even though a hearing is going to happen in 10 min.

What would you do?

Well, I whipped out my telephone directory for the judicial branch in my state (yes, I always bring it with me when I visit a court bldg.) and called the state's presiding judge's secretary and explained my predicament. Five minutes later I'm back in the court room, court still has not started...everyone in the courtroom looked at me astonished because when the guy dragged me out he said "you'll never set foot in here again!". And I had to chew out the front security detail when they initially did not allow me entry.

I've had judges toss me out of courtrooms that I am waiting for my case to be called ... usually for pointing to my watch, highlighting the tardiness of the court. Again, I just call another judge that has some control over them.

I've been waiting for my case to be called in traffic court a few times (you're waiting there for hours sometimes) and had to go to the john .. come back and find that the case was called. I usually get those fixed right there, never an issue with that.

But here is a person who's property is at stake not being allowed into a courtroom due to some wacko judge. Sure, they should have prepared and had phone numbers of judges who could solve this issue .. but I think that I'm the only one who carries around the judicial telephone directory with him when he goes to court...

I've been late once not due to my own reason - for a gay rights parade that caused a delay for all going to the courthouse from one direction.

These folks should be be kept out of their own hearings because they are "late" for the opening of the court.

Total 1000% BS. This judge would have had me at her home complaining about her - exercising my 1st amendment right ! At 3am.

OC for ME · Mar 16, 2016

davidmcbeth said:
never saw that scene ... that show had some funny moments.

However, getting to the threads premise. I was recently kicked out of a courtroom...I was wearing a hat prior to the court being in session and one of the cops demanded I remove it. There's no law or rule saying you have to remove your hat simply because you are in a courtroom so I told him to FO. So I got booted out. I had a hearing that morning..about 10 min after I got booted out. The cops told the guys on the front door security detail never to let me in again.

A traffic case, still yet to be resolved, ... what do judges do when you are not there? They issue out failure to appear warrants (a misdemeanor).

So here I am outside the court house and would not be let in even though a hearing is going to happen in 10 min.

What would you do?

Well, I whipped out my telephone directory for the judicial branch in my state (yes, I always bring it with me when I visit a court bldg.) and called the state's presiding judge's secretary and explained my predicament. Five minutes later I'm back in the court room, court still has not started...everyone in the courtroom looked at me astonished because when the guy dragged me out he said "you'll never set foot in here again!". And I had to chew out the front security detail when they initially did not allow me entry.

I've had judges toss me out of courtrooms that I am waiting for my case to be called ... usually for pointing to my watch, highlighting the tardiness of the court. Again, I just call another judge that has some control over them.

I've been waiting for my case to be called in traffic court a few times (you're waiting there for hours sometimes) and had to go to the john .. come back and find that the case was called. I usually get those fixed right there, never an issue with that.

But here is a person who's property is at stake not being allowed into a courtroom due to some wacko judge. Sure, they should have prepared and had phone numbers of judges who could solve this issue .. but I think that I'm the only one who carries around the judicial telephone directory with him when he goes to court...

I've been late once not due to my own reason - for a gay rights parade that caused a delay for all going to the courthouse from one direction.

These folks should be be kept out of their own hearings because they are "late" for the opening of the court.

Total 1000% BS. This judge would have had me at her home complaining about her - exercising my 1st amendment right ! At 3am.

Audio/video? If not, it did not happen.

davidmcbeth · Mar 17, 2016

OC for ME said:
Audio/video? If not, it did not happen.

I got audio ....

radio3579 · Mar 19, 2016

Here it is simple, at 0800 the court is in session, the clerk calls out the docket all those not present get a warrant sworn out for them, Failure to Appear.

The warrant directs any peace officer to arrest that person and deliver them to the magistrate to whom you may plead your case and show mitigating circumstances that prevented you from being on time.

Moral of the story, you know when you are supposed to be in court, be there on time and dressed appropriately.

Freedom1Man · Mar 19, 2016

radio3579 said:
Here it is simple, at 0800 the court is in session, the clerk calls out the docket all those not present get a warrant sworn out for them, Failure to Appear.

The warrant directs any peace officer to arrest that person and deliver them to the magistrate to whom you may plead your case and show mitigating circumstances that prevented you from being on time.

Moral of the story, you know when you are supposed to be in court, be there on time and dressed appropriately.

So, it is okay to dictate what clothing has to be worn in court?

How can any tax on clothing be valid if this is true?

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davidmcbeth · Mar 19, 2016

radio3579 said:
Here it is simple, at 0800 the court is in session, the clerk calls out the docket all those not present get a warrant sworn out for them, Failure to Appear.

The warrant directs any peace officer to arrest that person and deliver them to the magistrate to whom you may plead your case and show mitigating circumstances that prevented you from being on time.

Moral of the story, you know when you are supposed to be in court, be there on time and dressed appropriately.

Moral of the story: its a scam...just a revenue getting branch of the gov't.

How do we know from what Radio noted? Simple: speeding cases, stop light etc are all civil offenses in most states now. How can you get a criminal charge coming out of that by doing NOTHING? In civil cases the worst that should happen is you get a default judgment that you can clear up if you had good cause...here you get arrested. Nize.

Folks look at the judiciary as if they have members who are better than most ~ a clue: they don't

Grapeshot · Mar 19, 2016

Freedom1Man said:
So, it is okay to dictate what clothing has to be worn in court?
--snipped--

Judges do just that. No hats, no short pants, etc.

It is their fiefdom. Violate it at your own risk - contempt of court.

davidmcbeth · Mar 19, 2016

Grapeshot said:
Judges do just that. No hats, no short pants, etc.

It is their fiefdom. Violate it at your own risk - contempt of court.

Well, the guy did not ask if it is the way it is (like people prohibiting OCing) but do you agree with it?

I think its retarded "a show of respect" ... well, what if you don't have any respect? First amendment does not end at that doorway ... I have told judges that time and time again.

Contempt of court? I am very familiar with that LOL.....how many hours inside cells for just that? More than anything else.

I know from experience that judges do not like F-bombs ....

You folks may say your rights can be regulated ... I say not.

At least on my deathbed I'll gain total consciousness .. so I got that going for me.

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