Jackson Municipal Court Judge Ali Shamsid-dunce is in full CYA mode after he got called out for giving two $5,000 bonds to a suspect arrested for armed robbery and carjacking. WAPT reported last night:
A Jackson municipal court judge raised a $10,000 bond Wednesday to $200,000 Friday for a man accused a robbing a restaurant and carjacking someone hours earlier.The judge also told WAPT:
Stephan Brown, 19, was arrested Tuesday in connection with an armed robbery at the IHOP on Greenway Drive. The crime was caught on surveillance video, which showed a man pulling a gun on employees and them handing over cash. Employees said the robber left, but came back and demanded more money.
Brown is also charged with a carjacking at Quality Inn, which is down the street from IHOP.
Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance was not happy about the decision of the low bond.
"I'm really upset about this. My officers work their asses off to catch these guys and get and hopefully keep them off the streets. They are running around committing heinous crimes, robberies, thefts, and carjackings against the citizens of Jackson and when we catch them and bring them before a judge and they get a low bond like this it is very disheartening. It bothers me a great deal. I don't like it and I am not going to hide my feelings. I am upset by it and appeal to the judges to consider their records and the safety of the community."
Vance said the punishment is a joke.
"It is my understanding that he was issued a $10,000 total bond, $5,000 for each count, which basically means he can he can post $1000 and he can be back out in the streets again. That is unacceptable."
Officials with the Jackson Municipal Court said the officer gave erroneous information, Judge Shamsideen, brought defendant Brown back into his court and modified and raised the bond to $100,000 on each count, $200,000 bond and added the addendum that if he does somehow make bond that he must be placed under house arrest.
At the hearing on Brown when I asked the officer about this defendents prior crime record, I was told that his record was clean. That is why I set such a low bond. Only later did I learn that the officer was mistaken and that Mr. Brown had a long criminal rap sheet. And remember too that an initial appearance not a punishment proceeding, it's the beginning of the court process and that's why individuals go through the entire process in order to ensure that they have a fair and impartial hearing and ultimately justice is rendered.
Not so fast, Judge Shamsid-dunce. The suspect's rap sheet should not matter one damn bit. The suspect is accused of committing an armed robbery with a gun at a restaurant and then carjacking some poor victim who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Those are TWO VIOLENT felonies. Knowing the criminal history is helpful but a judge should know that a $5,000 bond for carjacking is almost the same thing as a Get Out of Jail Free Card. The perp pays maybe $500, or in this case $1,000, to a bail bondsman for the charge and gets out to go terrorize the community some more. It is assumed, of course, that the suspect has to pay $1,000 and not a lower amount if the bail bondsman puts him on a "installment plan".
Judge Shamsid-dunce could have looked at Brown's criminal history on the computer that is right in front of him in the courtroom. The learned judge only has to enter a code and presto, Brown's criminal history would appear on the screen right in front of him. This fact assumes that the judge can actually operate a computer. The fact that the judge blames the low bond on not knowing his criminal history shows the judge's incompetence or ignorance on the bench.
Mr. "Firm But Fair" got caught red-handed turning a dangerous suspect loose on the community and his now trying to cover his ass. This is the same judge who gave Daryl Dedmonds a $50,000 bond for murder and later raised it when the community raised hell about it. Sound familiar? The only firmness this judge shows is when he stands up to the police and protects criminals. He probably sees Jeff Weill as more of a threat to the community for locking up criminals than the criminals who actually rob, rape, and kill. Such are the way of things on his bench.
29 comments:
Your comments are over the top on this one Kingfish. The judge's explanation is plausible.
Pick another hill to die on....
Is the judge up for re-election anytime soon? One hopes that he will have a worthy opponent. From what I'm reading, he does not deserve a single vote.
Over the top? Not hardly. Not at all. It just shows you don't know how the court system works up there. He could've checked the rap sheet if he wanted to for himself and two violent felonies should be reason enough to give a higher bond. That bond should have been at least 25-50K assuming he had a clean record.
I'm an atty, comments not over the top. A car jacking and TWO armed robberies with a pistol within and hour? Should be 6 figures...
I am with you KF. The judge should not be where he is if he cannot check for a rap sheet himself. In this case it shouldn't have mattered. We do not need judges such as this.
The officer present said there were no priors. So in light of that the judge's explanation is plausible.
Its easy to conclude here after the fact that a higher bond was required.... But Kingfish is spearfishing
a honorable member of the bar...
Judge is appointed.
Bond should have been higher regardless of a clean past. Armed Robbery. Vance is a dumbass if he calls bond a form of punishment if that was his own words.
Judges should judge. Parties should investigate and present facts to the judge.
In France they have an inquisitorial system where judges effectively investigate the facts, which is what is suggested here. I'm glad we have a different system. I hope we don't change.
Just my opinion but I don't agree with "a honorable member of the bar." Sounds like he didn't know what he was doing. We do not need judges that are soft on criminals.
It's utterly stupid to say Kingfish's comments are 'over the top'. This clown's rap sheet notwithstanding, his current charges were enough to warrent six figures. Danks in Madison, seven figures. This judge needs to be selling minnows at Exxon.
its a myth that criminal histories are immediately available on computers. NCIC is antiquated and not reliable.
No criminal history should have been required for these crimes, he is a flight risk and a danger to the community and bond should have been very high.
What is point of bond? To make sure he is not a threat to others?
Dude is a stone cold repeat offender....
Higher bail....less death....
Is this hard?
If someone is a threat to public safety, they should be retained with no bond. If they are not a threat to public safety, release should be the default. If there is a concern the individual will not appear, bond should be set to guarantee their appearance. Unfortunately, many view bond as a punishment, and it causes messed-up things like this to happen. It won't be easy for the justice system to rediscover this concept, especially with the bail bondsmen using their political hammer to stymie any progress.
Will the real Kim Wade please stand up.
Bond is to insure that the person will appear and submit himself to the court for all aspects of his criminal proceeding. Any judge will look not only at the accused person's rap sheet but also the nature of the charge against him. A first time murderer has more chance of taking off as a ten time shoplifter. In this case this guy is charged with a damn serious set of crimes which indicate a wanton disrespect for law and the criminal process. His bond simply reflects a Judge's desire to do a favor for some reason other than protecting the community and insuring the defendant's appearance in court. Jackson's appointed municipal court judges are known for being helpful... to some.
I respect the process, but this judge, had his head up his ass. The question, if I may ask, your Honor", are you smarter than a fifth grader"? The Judges that keep releasing these criminals on low bond, should be liable for the future unlawful events of these criminals.
Regarding the French system, it is actually pretty effective and does provide significant protection for the rights of the accused, despite general misunderstanding by Americans and the mistaken belief that one charged with a crime in France is presumed guilty. That is simply not true. While it is true that a judge oversees the investigation, the investigating judge does not preside at trial or serve on the judicial panel for trial. Judges are also not elected, but are part of the civil service, well-trained, and are generally independent of political pressures.
The major problem in " initial felony bond matters" in Jackson Municipal Court is no participation by any Prosecutor from the Office of the District Attorney and/or County Prosecutor.
I am a Pro-Jackson person.
I can not co-sign this judges actions by issuing such low bonds for a violent offense such as this.
Most judges at the municipal court, justice court, chancery court and county court levels absolutely have their heads up their asses and they truly enjoy the view. This is why they have an overly high opinion of themselves. Just because some 'yahoo' has passed the bar doesn't mean they are any better, smarter or more 'honorable' than anyone else posting on this board. Passing the bar just gives them more of a reason to believe they are above rest of us and can treat people like something they step on in their yard that the neighbors dog leaves behind.
Its because of these 'judges' and individuals that 'pass' the bar that the judicial system is in the shape its in today.
Bail, in some jurisdictions, is set high enough that the 'suspect' cannot possibly meet it and no bondsman is going to 'go it'. Call it what you will, but that protects rational members of society and even some of you.
Kim Wade, you are part of the problem.
The "elephant in the room" is race. Some judges, some grand juries, some juries, believe too many young males of their race are incarcerated. This attitude is killing diversity in Jackson. This person should not be free on the street unless there is a high bond on his head paid by his mother and/or his gang. Everyone pays for those "light on crime".
One more thing, if you are part of the majority in Jackson, don't vote for your DA because you know his mother or his family. And don't vote for judges because you go to church with them Find out their attitude toward crime and drugs. Only then will we begin to clean up Jackson.
Appointed, hmmmm.... Wonder which Mayor did this? Anyway, I believe a Judge should be able to look at the current crime/crimes and set sufficient bail, even if the electricity is off.
A judge, no longer on the bench, in a metro area justice court would ask the defendants how much bond they could afford and set the bond according to their answer. It was a great day when she retired but she was replaced with another bench rider that has zero business being a judge for as long as she chooses because of the majority make up of her district and her family name.
Kim Wade is in no way part of the problem.
Using the theory some of you yahoos suggest, if the man had been a triple amputee in a wheelchair and had robbed a sto at gunpoint, you would think he ought to be free on his own recognizance since there is little likelihood he will skip the jurisdiction. Never mind that he'll go right back out on the skreet.
9:47, you are spot on with your comment and this is exactly why these low bonds are set in Jackson.
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