Jerry Porter - Thug of the Week 2/21/2008

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This week we shine our ubiquitous spotlight on none other than Jerry Porter and his 109 bookings at the Shelby County Crossbar Hotel. Jerry's latest escapade is chronicled in the affidavit which has been inserted into this post. While reading through the affidavit, you get a sense that Jerry may have a "mental" problem. I'm not sure what that means though, because I think we all have mental problems. It's a matter of degree. In Jerry's case, I think the solution might be some quality time at an "extended stay" facility, something like the (I hate to call it this) Correctional Center.

Personally, I think people like Jerry need to be housed in the "work house", where they can work off their aggressive behavior, in the fields, or doing some form of manual labor. I'm told all this idleness is the "devil's workshop" and it appears the devil has been busy in Jerry's little shop of horrors. So here's to you - Jerry Porter - thug man of the week!

Happy Valentine Thug 2-14-2008

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Mary Austin, Mary Boswell, "Mary, Mary quite contrary"...

This week's thug has been booked in the county jail 160 times and been charged with over 230 charges. She has been charged with some form of prostitution over 135 times. She plies her trade everywhere, even near churches and schools.

Once again, I'd like to thank this week's thug for helping us highlight this problem. Maybe, through these "thugs" hard work, we can get things changed!

It's "Illegal" Alien

I ran into a friend who works in one of Shelby County's criminal courts the other day and we were discussing crime and all things criminal. He had some revelations for me. I knew there was a problem with illegal aliens, but I didn't know exactly how bad it was, not that I have a clear picture of that now. But, what I learned was astounding.

It seems that there is an "illegal" in the court where he works who has been in jail for 2 years, on a "rape of a child" charge. The defense is claiming he is incapable of knowing right from wrong. This is because he doesn't speak English! Usually, a person is ruled mentally incompetent because of some psychological problem, but this new wrinkle,which is apparently a scheme of the public defenders office, is costing the taxpayer a bundle. The court has assigned a translator (I'm told at $125.00 per court appearance) and a spanish speaking attorney, at a much higher rate. They are also paying dueling psychologists to haggle over whether or not this guy has become Anglicized enough to be tried. There's no telling how much money we are spending on this clown, who should have been dropped off back in his native country (from about 30,000 feet).

In another matter, which is related to the same problem, I was told how the DAs office took another illegal alien to the judge and recommended probation. Fortunately, that judge wouldn't go along with the deal. He ruled that it would be impossible for him to grant probation to an "illegal alien" because one of the rules for probation is that the person will have a job, and it is illegal to hire an illegal alien. This guy is now doing the 11 months and 29 days he should be doing.
I hope the other judges take note of this ruling because it is only right. I cannot understand how we got so out of control that we are granting, not only the rights of citizens, but more, to illegal aliens.

I will be trying to find information over the next week or so regarding how many illegal aliens have been arrested this past year, even though our local shurf isn't concerned with enforcing that law. Personally, I think once arrested, and identified as an illegal, they should be immediately deported. I think it's called "prima facia" evidence. The fact that they are breathing our air, is proof enough that they are committing a crime.

Thug of the Week - 02-07-2008

This weeks participant in the Thug of the Week Thug-a-thon is Andre Elliott. Andre has been a non player lately, but somehow he has landed back in the slammer, after assaulting a clerk at a service station, while being overly inebriated. This is not the first time Andre has assaulted someone. As is usually the case, this weeks player, has done this numerous times, only to be evaluated, then released back onto society. Andre has been arrested 171 different times and has been charged with 266 different charges, ranging from public drunk to robbery. He has also been charged with selling crack cocaine, carry a dangerous weapon, etc. He is currently in jail on a $100.00 bond and will probably walk back out the door tomorrow, if not sooner.

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As an aside, I think people might be interested to know that I was contacted, this week, by a judge who said he had been listening to Mike Fleming and me discuss this repeat offender issue. He said he was glad someone was speaking up, because a sitting judge cannot. This particular judge is a friend that I helped get elected because I knew he would make a good judge. I told him of my idea about the sentencing matrix, and he agreed - it is a great idea. The underlying concept is that after the first conviction on a misdemeanor charge (automatic probation), a person would have to receive a stronger punishment than they received the previous time. This would give a judge some leeway, but would require a progressive discipline. Hopefully, our local legislators will be paying attention to this blog and the radio show.

Babes WITH Arms

Remember all the hoopla over the West Memphis officer shooting the twelve year old last year? Well, where is the outrage over the latest arrests by the MPD of the teenage robbers? Where is the parent? Notice, I didn't say where are the parents. Are is a verb that is used when the subject is plural. Anyone want to bet there was no father in the family? Who thinks a young teenager can't kill you?

My last year on the job, I arrested 5 crips one night, after a 15 year old tried to kill me with a REAL .9mm pistol. We also recovered another pistol from the car they were driving. Ed Vidulich, we have learned, was killed by an 18 year old. When you have young boys with no father around to make them do right, you can expect the worst. Even when fathers are around, there are no guarantees, but it's far less likely the boys will turn out to be gangsters.

Here's the MPD press release on the "shotgun robbers" who were arrested this past week. Notice this release talks about a "toy" gun. Does that sound familiar?

On Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 8:15 PM Uniform patrol officers from Union Station arrested two suspects in connection with the robbery of the Pizza Hut delivery driver at 1223 Tutwiler. Officers had recovered a toy handgun and determined these suspects fit the description of the shot gun robberies that had been occurring in the Evergreen Historical District around the area of Rhodes College. Robbery Investigators began an investigation and today have charged six juveniles in connection with these series of robberies.
Ladetrick Bond, 13
Ricky Hampton, 15
Terrell Phillips, 15
Qurtez Harris, 16
Deadrick Munged, 16
Lorenzo Howard, 16

Robbery investigators expect to make additional arrest and have been working to recover property taken in these robberies.

On Crime and Punishment

Thanks to Senator Mark Norris and Representative Curry Todd for getting things started on the repeat offender problem here in Memphis. As they promised, on Mike Fleming's radio show last week, they have introduced legislation to study the repeat offender problem and come up with solutions. Here is the text of the bill which was introduced 1/31/2008:

SENATE BILL 3905
By Norris
HOUSE BILL 3751
By Todd


AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16 and Title 40, relative to misdemeanor sentencing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 16, Chapter 21, Part 1, is amended by adding the following as a new section:

Section 16-21-112.

(a) The council is requested to conduct a study of § 40-35-302, and other provisions of the criminal code dealing with misdemeanor sentencing. The study shall determine whether the present misdemeanor sentencing structure is sufficient to adequately deter and punish offenders who commit multiple misdemeanor offenses. Because these multiple offenses congest the criminal justice system and rarely result in any appreciable punishment, it gives the general public the impression that the justice system is lax and does not do enough to protect the victims from the loss and inconvenience caused by numerous petty offenses committed by the same defendant.

(b) The administrative office of the courts is authorized to assist the council in completing the study and report requested by this section.
(c) The council shall complete the study and report its findings, including any recommendations for necessary legislation, to the clerk of the house of representatives and the senate for distribution to the members by January 15,2009.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.