| By Rita Howell
A defendant in Batesville Municipal Court on Wednesday failed to convince Judge Bill McKenzie that a hospital stay had prevented him from paying his fine of $855, which was due December 30, 2004.
Jerry McBrayer of 201-B Patton Lane, Batesville, was given time to produce documentation that he had been hospitalized, but the only record he showed the judge this week was an emergency room report that showed he was seen and released on one day.
"I think the other papers are in my mother’s car," McBrayer told the judge.
"You mean you’re facing a 90-day jail sentence and you’re too busy to go to Senatobia and get papers to prove you’ve been hospitalized?" the judge asked McBrayer.
He revoked the suspension and McBrayer was taken to jail.
Kevin Hines of 3676 Bethlehem Road, Batesville paid a fine of $2,098 prior to court on a contempt of court charge for old fines.
Family disturbance
Michael Shoote of 327 Hayes St., Batesville, pleaded guilty to disturbance of family on February 26. Shoote testified that he actually called the police himself after an argument with his wife. He was fined $50.
Katie Byford of 126 Johnson St., Batesville, pleaded guilty to disturbance of family and was fined $255.
Timothy Rogers of 126 Johnson St., Batesville, was found guilty of domestic violence, disturbance of family and contempt of court for failure to pay previously imposed fines from April, 2003. He was ordered to pay total fines of $2,867. Rogers was enrolled in the city’s work release program for 70 days to satisfy the fine.
Referred to grand jury
Terrence Mitchell of 174 Millie Dandridge, Coldwater, had his case referred to the grand jury. He is charged with receiving stolen property.
Other cases
Jason Kitchekeg of 219 Vance St., Batesville, was found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident and driving while his license is suspended.
"How many times have you been ticketed for driving while your license is suspended?" the judge asked Kitchekeg, who was making a repeat appearance in city court.
"Roughly five," Kitchekeg said.
"I don’t want you back in here," the judge told the defendant. "Stay out of the car until you get a valid Mississippi driver’s license."
He was fined $505 on the current charges.
Tommy Oliver of 213 Willa St., Batesville, pleaded guilty to public drunk. He told the judge he’d been parked on Pine Lodge Road, watching deer, when a resident reported his vehicle there. He was fined $255.
Petit larceny
Russell Fondren of 735 CR 313, Oxford, pleaded guilty to charges of petit larceny, saying he took tools on two occasions from his employer James Weaver at Weaver’s Auto Repair.
Weaver had requested that Fondren’s charges be reduced from grand larceny, a felony charge, to petit larceny, a misdemeanor. The judge approved the amended charge and imposed total fines of $590.
Fondren still works for Weaver, he told the court.
Speeding
Judge McKenzie ordered Samuel Campbell of 1229 Fairmont, Jackson, to pay a fine of $96 for speeding. After listening to testimony from Officer Jason Butts, Officer Ruby Myers and Campbell, the judge ruled that the officers had successfully proven their charge that Campbell was doing 40 in a 25 mph zone on Tubbs Road on January 31. Campbell denied having been on Tubbs road at the time and told the officers they must have clocked someone else.
Failed to appear
Defendants who failed to appear in court to answer charges were:
Kentrell Wiley of 667 Bethlehem Road, Batesville,
contempt of court;
Eric Towns, 705 Jones St., Crenshaw,
contempt of court;
Omah Jones, 278 E. Shiloh Road, Courtland,
contempt of court;
Jimmy Newsom, 218 Hassell Road, Coldwater,
receiving stolen property.
Cases continued
Judge McKenzie ordered Devin Draper of 91 Elbert Smith Road, Batesville, to return to court March 9 for a trial on traffic tickets that Draper contests.
The case of Barbara Cooper of 48 CR, Oxford, was continued until March 23. She is charged with shoplifting.
James Douglas of 16 Courtney Village, Courtland, had his case continued. He is charged with contempt of court.
Dismissed
Judge McKenzie dismissed a charge of false pretense filed against Michael Putman of 22752 Highway 35 North, Batesville, by Latonya Fields after Fields withdrew the charge and paid a withdrawal fee.
Tickets
Cindy Johnson Anderson of 111 Ivy Gordon, Courtland, was fined $455 for charges of driving while her license is suspended and improper equipment. Her case had been continued for weeks so that she could provide documentation that she had paid an old fine which had caused her license to be suspended. She didn’t provide documents to prove her case, so the judge imposed the fine.
Annie M. Baker of 112 Gore St., Batesville, has a trial date set for March 30. She is contesting charges of driving while her license is suspended and no proof of insurance.
Chauncey Joyner of 106 Cedar Crest Cir., Batesville, requested that he be enrolled in a defensive driving course for those convicted of DUI.
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