Wednesday will be yet another nail in the coffin for the Goon Squad as Circuit Judge Steve Ratcliff sentences them after they pleaded guilty to various state charges in August. U.S. District Judge Tom Lee sentenced them last month for their federal charges in the torture of Michael Jenkins, Eddie Parker, and Alan Schmidt. The state charges and sentence recommendations are posted below.
Attorney Aafram Sellers represents the defendant.
Hindering prosecution: 15 years with 7 years suspended.
Conspiracy: 5 years.
Middleton is serving a federal prison sentence of 17.5 years in the same case.
Christian Dedmon
Home invasion: 15 years with 5 years suspended.
Conspiracy: 5 years
Attorney Michael Cory represents Dedmon.
Dedmon is serving a federal prison sentence of 40 years in the Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker case and the Alan Schmidt case.
Daniel Opdyke
Opdyke pleaded guilty to Hindering prosecution in the first degree and conspiracy to commit hindering prosecution in the first degree.
Sentence recommendation:
Hindering prosecution: 15 years with 10 years suspended.
Conspiracy: 5 years to serve.
Opdyke is serving a federal prison sentence of 17.5 years in the two cases (Jenkins & Parker and Schmidt).
Hunter Elward
Edward pleaded guilty to Aggravated assault with a firearm, Criminal home invasion to terrorize, and conspiracy. The Attorney Generals submitted these recommendations to the Court:
Count 1: 20 years with 5 years suspended
Count 2: 15 years with 5 years suspended
Count 3: 5 years
Elward is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison for his role in the torture of Michael Jenkins, Eddie Parker and Alan Schmidt (separate case).
Joshua Hartfield
hindering prosecution in the first degree and conspiracy to hinder prosecution. The sentence recommendation is:
Hindering prosecution: 15 years with 10 years suspended.
Cospiracy: 5 Years.
The first charge will be classified as a crime of violence.
Attorneys Robert Lingold, Jr. and Victoria Giliam represent the defendant.
Hartfield is serving a federal prison sentence of 10 years in the case.
Kingfish note: Keep in mind these are probably 50% sentences.
36 comments:
This is just piling on by the state.
The feds have done the job.
The Judge can still sentence them to the maximum and he needs to. He also needs to run the sentences consecutive. That will show the public that these idiots are being punished appropriately.
Will this be concurrent?
Judge Lee already set many of the sentences to run concurrent with state. Just the firearms enhancements are running consecutive.
Judge Lee/feds cannot run a fed sentence concurrent with a State sentence. That’s why sentencing was continued in state court so they could get fed time first, then Ratcliffe can run the chicken $h!t offers concurrent with Fed sentence. Usually there’s no need for a presentence investigation report in rankin; certainly not being LEO defendantS (first offenders)…so why weren’t they sentenced when they pleaded guilty like 99% of the other defendants that plead guilty in Rankin?
The AG should have filed to recuse Ratcliffe, but didn’t bc you can’t get re-elected without rankin’s good ol boy system. Also, the charges, or lack thereof, should shed light on where the AG’s loyalties lie…(hint hint voters)
Lastly, Brett, I will pray for you. You have a long road to hoe, but I imagine once your fellow inmates get your papers/find out what you did, you’ll be the hoe and the road will be long. Good luck joining AB.
Just thought today, that’s a lot of training and experience those boneheads threw away. Just because they’re apparently assholes. I wish the “state” could recover some training costs like the military would.
Thank you Judge Ratcliff
No way in heck was Bailey not aware of this! I pray he is gone soon. The families involved all deserve to know the truth and it doesn’t stop with the officers! Their children will ask these questions one day!
I've wondered since Judge Lee ruled..how he can set concurrent sentences when there was yet no state sentence with which a federal sentence could possibly run concurrent.
I question not only his speculation but also his ability to address a state sentence (known or unknown).
Would seem to me that 'the state' can come along and rule that the state sentences are to run consecutive with federal sentencing. Lee cannot control, override or decide anything related to state sentencing.
Disclaimer: I've never taken a law course but I have walkin' around sense.
No gang will want these guys, they have way too much baggage. Where ever they turn they will find someone trying to use them. Especially the guards and far right groups. Making an example of these guys in prison will go along way on Cell/Block crede. Remember the victims have friends in prison too.
Why are none of these pervs charged for their sex crimes? I thought gang rapes were generally considered serious offenses.
It’s “row to hoe” not “road” smh @8:58 . Who hoes a road? lol
These guys will be off limits in prison. Anyone who messes with them will have an entire RCSO hit team stalking their family.
I do not believe in letting the prisoners be executioners. If we as a society prefer harsher punishments, we need to be willing to dole it out ourselves.
These guys are in prison and will do their time. Now let's get on to the car jackers, crack heads, thieving politicians and the rest of Mississippi's best and brightest.
The feds and state worked it all out last summer, who would go first, what the charges and sentences would be, etc.
6:08 pm " piling on" is appropriate in this case but frankly, these animals should never be let loose again. Only a very perverted psychopath could do what they did.
But, then we seem to be very tolerant of disgusting creatures in the human race these days and wish to excuse and pardon them to be as destructive as possible.
Me personally have went and visited one of these officers in jail, and quite frankly no one in the jail seems to care. The other inmates gave them commissary on day one. They gave them better shoes to wear. They know they are police and the inmates they have been around said they wasn’t studying what happened that we all are criminals now. Now that they are about to leave for sentencing the inmate I visited along with his fellow “goon squad” members have gave their stuff out to the other inmates. At the end of the day 80%+ of this county doesn’t give a damn what happened that night. Yea they went to far but they just want their county safe.
@9:13 AM - I raise the BS flag. They haven't been housed in Rankin County, but rather multiple counties. Oh, and your grammar sucks.
@ 8:03 AM Thanks for being one of the few to get it correct: Row to hoe and not a road. Hoe a road would most assuredly would result in a short life span.
I'm sure there are quite a few ho's on the road. Lot Lizards, anyone?
Lol.....Ho Ho Ho
@9:13 I have lived in Rankin county for 35 plus years. I promise you I'm not in that 80%. What the Goon Squad did that night was not keeping the county safe, but hiding behind their badge to commit criminal acts. No one deserved what they did. The high sheriff should resign ASAP, but he won't, because he's hiding behind his badge too.
@9:42 Thank you! Say it again louder for the dummies that think otherwise.
All of the Rankin County Judges, District Attorneys should have all recused themselves. A special Judge and District Attorney should have been appointed.
The sheriff and many of the people involved in this whole mess are wishing and thinking that people have a short attention span and will forget quickly. Mostly they are right. But there are some people who do not forget so easily. The people who they screwed over will remember. The sheriff will probably get a pass but some people will not forget. He will not be the sheriff always. Revenge is best served cold.
JJ - what time? Will this be live streamed here?
@1:03 agree. There are people at that department that have karma heading to them. Rest Assured it's coming. The feds know all about your little secrets within the Jail and RCSO.
There was a lot of build up during the federal sentencing, but locally this sentencing seems like the authorities are getting closer to getting Bailey.
Seriously, why would any elected official not recommend the maximum penalty in every case for such egregious acts? What is the rationale for anything less than the maximum sentence?
You folks are something else. If Bailey was involved in any way the Feds would have him in jail, but he is not. Everyone knows what these boys did was so wrong, however we in Rankin County enjoy a low crime rate. Law enforcement, Da’s Office , Judges and yes RCSO are the reason. The bad apples are being exposed and removed from Pearl, Richland and RCSO. We will be fine in Rankin.
to 7;16................thats some beautiful testimony.......
bernie ebbers posed basically the same defense .........which is the '''yes i run this department but i have no idea of what my deputies are doing'' defense.
that defense got bernie 26 years
got news for you. the feds never get in a hurry.
when they indictct , they are ready for trial the next day.
your little elf bailey will find that out.
you are a professional happy talker. the world is full of them.
to 7:16
''if bailey was involved the feds would have him in jail''
you dont know much about the federal system do you?
before the feds can indict an elected official , which bailey is , they have to get permission from the US atty general himself.
takes a bit of doing, and this case is still very young.
but it can be done, just ask all the corrupt elected officials that have taken the bus ride to the federal slam.
since bailey has declared himself a victim in all this , maybe he needs to take a seat in the court room with the real victims and their families for this little sentencing.
its interesting how 7:16 never gives the united states attorneys office any credit for the "low crime rate" in rankin county.
he credits the RCSO...........the very office that is is responsible for the biggest atrocity in mississippi since the murder of the three
freedom riders in neshoba county back in the 1960s.
10:05
Excellent point !
If the state is "piling on" as some suggest, GOOD! Pile it on. Then when these a holes get to prison let others pile on.
There is no excuse for their behavior. This is not something you do by accident or something you do because you are trying to impress your boss or girlfriend. You can only treat other human beings this way because YOU want to.
They are worse then common criminals, thugs, kidnappers, etc. because they are doing it under the protection and umbrella of the law. They have tarnished the badge for all law abiding, honest, professional LEO's.
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