‘ What are you doing with your life?’

‘ What are you doing with your life?’

Judge Thorne asks the hard- hitting questions

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“Does anyone know Mr. Barrett? I have a blank check here on my desk from him. I’ll buy everyone lunch today on Mr. Barrett. We will all meet at Popeye’s for a snack pack. You all thank him on your way out,” Judge Fred Thorne quipped to the crowd in West Memphis Municipal Court on Friday.

Aman with a felony charge was charged with reckless driving and fleeing.

“How old are you?”

“20. It’s my first time.”

“Where do you live?”

“I been moving here.”

“From where?”

“Forrest City.”

“Do you have a job?”

“I just got one on Wednesday.”

“Where?”

“Simplot.”

“See the public defender.”

The next person with a felony charge was asked, “What are you doing with your life?”

“Stayin’ out the way.”

“Who is supporting you?”

“No one.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, nobody in the world can live on zero dollars. How are you supported?”

“I stay with my momma.”

“Go see the public defender.”

The next woman with a felony charge was asked, “Why are you in jail? Just visiting?”

“I live in Jonesboro with my kids.”

“Who supports you?”

“My kids get checks.”

“How many kids do you have?”

“Six. Only three of them get checks.”

“See the public defender.”

A couple were called up.

“You are charged with endangering the welfare of a minor. You left your child in the parking lot at Krystal? Where do you live?”

“Pocahontas.”

“See the public defender.”

Awoman was charged with arson.

“You got evicted and threatened to burn the house down?”

“I never said that.”

“You have lived at other places that had a torch put to it?”

“I did not.”

“See the public defender.”

Awoman in jail was asked, “Where do you live?”

“Paragould.”

“You were trying to jump out of a car?”

“The car was stopped at the stop light.”

“You said you wanted to kill yourself?”

“That was just something I said.”

“The police asked you if you wanted to go to the hospital or jail and you said you wanted to go to jail.”

“I was angry with my mother.”

“I’ve been angry with my mother but I never wanted to kill myself. Is you mother here?”

“No, she had to work.”

“Jail, I want her evaluated. If everything is okay I’ll let you out Monday.”

A woman in jail was charged with public intoxication. She pled no contest.

“I have a bad problem with drinking. I’ve been straight for seven months but I just started back.”

“How many PI’s have you had?” asked the Judge as he read over her records. “You have had many PI’s.”

“Some of that was back when my boyfriend commit-

Judge Fred Thorne ted suicide.”

“$100 plus court costs and 30 days suspended to one month probation. Sign up for Celebration Recovery. That is $240 total. Pay $50 down and get on a payment plan. Come back next Friday and prove you have been going to Celebration Recovery or pay the whole $240 and 30 days jail.”

“I’m going to ASU Mid-South.”

“We won’t be here Friday. Be back here a week from Monday, the 28th with proof you have been attending Celebration Recovery.”

A man in jail said he was attending the RSTAT program

but he hasn’t passed it

yet.

“How long is the program.” “Any length it takes for them to finish,” said a woman at the jail.

“How long should it take?” “If you really try hard it takes a week.”

“I had 10 things to learn and I could only remember seven of them,” said the man in jail.

“If that were me and I had to memorize 10 things I’d be writing them on the jail wall trying to learn them.”

“You can send me to another

program,” said the

man.

“No, not until you do our program.”

A man in jail was charged with theft. He pled guilty.

“I stole a license plate so I could get to work.”

“Where do you work?”

“Nike.”

“How long?”

“Two or three weeks.”

“$500 plus court costs and 60 days jail. Wouldn’t you like to get in your car and get stopped because you don’t have a license plate? Then have to go to court and prove you did have one but it had been stolen?”

A woman in jail wanted to change her plea.

“How do you plead to driving

on suspended?”

“Guilty.”

“Bogus tags?”

“Guilty.”

“No insurance?”

“No contest.”

“Obstruction of justice?”

“No contest.”

“Whose name did you give?”

“My sister.”

“What a good sister you are. Where do you work?”

“Cummins.”

“$350 plus court costs and five days on the driving on suspended. $75 plus court costs on the tags. $350 plus court costs on the insurance.”

“I had insurance but he couldn’t find it.”

“You can come back on Monday and prove you had insurance and if you don’t it will be $500 plus court costs and 10 days jail. Do you want to take the charges I gave you today or wait till Monday?”

“I’ll take the charges today.”

A woman in the courtroom was charged with speeding. She pled guilty. She was also charged with no proof of insurance. She pled not guilty.

“I have my proof of insurance.”

“You pled not guilty. Do you want to change your plea?”

“No.”

“Turn around and face the courtroom. How many people think she is smart?”

No one in the galley raised their hands.

“Come and get your court date.”

A young man in the courtroom who came forward with his father was asked how he plead to no driver’s license.

“I got my permit.”

“Go sit down till he learns how to plead. You will probably be the last ones here.”

By the Evening Times News Staff