The AP is
reporting that the Indiana Supreme Court has suspended the drug court program in Clark County, which is the subject of a federal lawsuit alleging that offenders have been jailed for longer terms than they were sentenced for their drug-related offenses. The Supreme Court acted through the Indiana Judicial Center. From the report:
"During the suspension, the court may not accept any new participants," said the letter signed by Jane Siegel, executive director of the Judicial Center. "Additionally, the Judicial Center continues to have an interest in the welfare of the current drug court participants and requests that you work with our office to develop a plan for the future supervision of ... these individuals."
The letter was addressed to Clark Circuit Judge Jerry Jacobi, who oversees the program that's designed to help participants overcome substance abuse problems.
At least four participants in the drug court have spent months in jail despite being ordered to serve only days or weeks behind bars. Indiana State Police and a special prosecutor are investigating its operations, and Jacobi fired court director Susan Knoebel and suspended court bailiff Jeremy Snelling indefinitely without pay. Knoebel has said she has been made a scapegoat in the case.
The four people incarcerated longer than ordered are among eight plaintiffs alleging mistreatment by the program in a lawsuit filed against Clark County Tuesday in federal court in New Albany. They are seeking undisclosed financial compensation.
In one case, a woman who was sentenced to 48 hours in jail after she provided a diluted drug screen result ended up spending 154 days behind bars. In another case, a man was ordered to spend 30 days behind bars but served 215 days.
The story indicates that the drug court's attorney is Larry Wilder. That's the
same attorney who made national headlines when a picture of him passed out in a neighbor's trash can went viral. Wilder had spent the previous night partying in Louisville with some friends.
Both Jerry Jacobi and Larry Wilder should spend an amount of time in prison equal to the extra days served by the victims of their idiocy. And pay whatever damages are awarded. And be permanently barred from practicing law in Indiana. Anything less than this would be unfair.
ReplyDeleteThe Supreme Court reminds me of the character in Casablanca who was "shocked, shocked!" to find there was gambling at Rick's.
I love it when you share these stories, Gary, because they truly reflect the legal system we have come to own here in Indiana, and I think its good to hold it up to the light of day for a moment of examination from time to time. Don’t the cast of characters here just seem to ooze moral turpitude; and doesn’t a lawyer crawling out of a trash bin really personify our new legal status quo? I blame the Indiana Supreme Court, which has the responsibility for enforcing a code of conduct appropriate to protect the citizenry from practitioners of the profession, and which it fails to do.
ReplyDeleteI think the other workers should have to take civil rights training and the cover up of brandy Taylor should be getting big news upcoming
ReplyDeleteHaving watch my girl be wrongfully arrested and false imprisoned for 4 months has been the most draining thing I've ever done and I'm ready for some money to be paid for their ruthless deads
ReplyDeleteGary popp and Renee Murphy are hero's in our country
ReplyDeleteAfter looking at the figures that Jacobi spent on the election which were $60,000 and Laura Harbison only spent $4,500 the citizen in Clark County have picked a much different direction for the judicial future. I believe that jacobi, knoebel, and Snelling had the proper training and Mr Snelling during Hendricks arrest at rocky's thought he had arrest powers through the courts. That's a guilty plea and ignorance of the law is no excuse and jacobi did order it and Amy bennett's as well and then they changed their story and said they escorted them to the jail in cuffs and not given the option to leave nor called in any officer during all 3 of their kidnappings. The worst part and the real question is who gave whoever the information on how to cover up Taylor's arrest and change the arrest report cause if it was a prosecuter then they don't have absolute immunity for the advice they gave and I wonder if that the case with the judge but that tells me in October they knew and they still held Amy bennett till December and they should have made an offer on those cases they knew that they couldn't win and released them from the program but instead they wanted to lose their public office and have to go in front of his peers and admitt he knowingly broke the constitution that he swore to uphold and protect for 10 years and cost taxpayers an untold amount of money that the people he has hurt deserve to the fullest amount for all they have been through. I'm wrapping up by saying that even if jacobi ordered the illegal arrests the people that performed the action know that they were breaking the law and I hope their actions lead to their admittance of guilt and they do time for their ruthless affair as they reigned people's lives and caused people to have heart attacks and major medical problems and stress as even after they did their actions they threatened through the public defenders office to put the arrested in prison if their loved ones didn't stop calling them to find out why they were being false imprisoned and why a probation officer and court clerk trespassed on my property to kiss and hold hands in the wee hours of the morning to commit a premeditated crime that should make them convicted felons. Makes you wonder if they don't need drug court cause they surely were thinking with a clear mind.
ReplyDeleteThe war will begin on July 7th and still my Amy has to go in front of the one she has a civil law suit against but they didn't raise her up another level nor release her from the program that messed our lives up to the fullest extent.
ReplyDeleteBRANDY Taylor was arrested by Susan and jeremy also and the arrest report was changed and people know how dirty that court house is. SHUT IT DOWN FOR GOODS AND PUT EVERYONE ON PRO BATON SO WE CAN GO ON WITH OUR LIVES
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