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Pre-sentencing

Interview with Joe, Walter, Wendy, Ella and Annie

JM: Tell us about the pre-sentencing process:
Joe: Sat in jail waiting through continuances til it got to trial where I plead to a lesser charge.
Walter: Not sure what you are looking for here. Pre- sentencing was okay I guess. My attorney and I drug out the court process. It wasn't really confusing. Just more or less went thru the court process and waited for my sentence trying to negotiate a lesser sentence. We waited almost a year before I was sentenced.
Wendy: By the time I got before a judge, I had been kept in a cement room with a metal toilet all night with all of the women who had been booked that night. The then lined us all up, put shackels on us, and transported us to another facility. We were then brought one-by-one into a bathroom where we stripped all clothes off in front of a guard, bent over so that they could examine and make sure we weren't hiding anything, then told to shower and put on the scrubs, socks, underwear, and plastic sandals they provided. The following morning, they re- shackeled us and brought us back to the Anoka County jail and courthouse where we were brought before a judge. (By that time, you look like you SHOULD be in jail!)I was then transported back to Lino Lakes, where I stayed until I was released on bail.
Ella: Anoka has a fairly speedy trial or court process. Court appearances were typically 2-3 weeks apart. I was not happy with the pre-sentence investigation that was submitted. Many facts were mixed up and not accurate in final report but at that point there isn't much point in arguing or it mattering.
Annie: I believe you are referring to the booking process, you are held in a cold cement cell for hours while they book you in. You are called out for finger printing and booking photo this process is slow and can take up to 6 or 7 hours. Cold cell hard chairs with no sort of entertainment to keep yourself occupied.

JM: Did you have police stop by your house for questioning? If not please give us details on how you came to be arrested.
Joe: no
Walter: No. I was arrested in 01 for a DWI. I was leaving my friends house and started going the wrong way down a 1 way street. When the officer tried to pull me over I did not stop right away. I was charged with a DWI and felony fleeing of an officer. My BAC registered at .27
Wendy: No, the house that I was living in was raided. I was a resident and was arrested. A team of DEA agents broke the front door down with a battering ram, without knocking first, then stormed in at 7:30 in the morning with guns and flashlights pointed at us, screaming to get on the ground.
Ella: I was arrested in the city of Anoka at a Walgreens store. I was transported to the city jail and was put in a holding cell booked and then released. I was not formally charged with anything but charges were left pending for almost 18 months before I was notified by mail that the charges would be formal.
Annie: I was arrested because I ran across a busy street and nearly caused an accident, and had a warrant for my arrest. I was stopped and when the cops ran my name they realized I had a warrant and I was transported to Anoka county jail to be finger printed get my mug shot and change out into the jail attire and await court

JM: What was court like? Please give as many details as you recall.
Joe: multiple. first 4, sat in custody, saw judge for two minutes, plead not guilty til trial. talked to prosecutor, came to a plea agreement and plead guilty.
Walter: Court was stressful. There were multiple court dates and as I stated before, my attorney and I drug out the process in the hopes of getting a better plea agreement. I was 22 years old and looking at a felony, which would have not have been good for my career so getting that a good resolution to that was key.
Wendy: Scary. I had never been in trouble before. As stated above, by the time I was brought before a judge, I had spent the day in a holding room with hookers and crack dealers, been shackeled and transported, stripped and showered in front of a guard, then spent the night crying in a bunk bed above a woman who was there for trying to kill her daughter's girlfriend. . . mind you, she was obviously mentally ill and kept talking to herself very crazily. When I went back to court for sentencing, my attorney and the DA didn't want me to serve any time - they had agreed to a probation period, and I was planning to leave afterward. The judge seemed to not be able to recognize the actual charges, because he kept referencing methamphetamines, which were not a part of my case. He sentenced me, to the disbelief of both attorneys, and I was again cuffed, shackeled, and brought to Lino Lakes for another 2 days, at which time I was able to transfer to the Anoka County Workhouse.
Ella: Court dates were timelier than most counties in my experience. I had a fairly good public defender which is a rarity. The judges and prosecutors seemed to be willing to work together to get the case resolved and closed. All in all good court process and speedy resolution to your case if you request it.
Annie: Long process which I was handcuffed to a waistband and lead like cattle into the courtroom to wait for council to arrive. I feel that when you are in custody you are treated poorly in the courtroom. It is embarrassing being lead in while it cuffs and jail uniform. Everybody stares at you as if you were on display

JM: What were your original charges? What did you end up being convicted of?
Walter: Felony fleeing of a peace officer and gross misdemanor DWI. Actual conviction was DWI and a stay of execution on the DWI.
Wendy: Two counts of 1st degree felony posession of cocaine (1 count for an amount over 30 grams, 1 count for attempting to distribute - an amount over 10 grams), and a 2nd degree felony posession of marijuana. I plead guilty to a 5th degree posession of marijuana with a small amount of cocaine.
Ella: 1st Degree Conspiracy to Attempt to Manufacture a Controlled Substance. I pled guilty to such charge to run concurrent to another charge out of Aitkin County.
Annie: My charges were 3 degree possession of a controlled substance and aiding in car theft. I was charged with 5th degree possession of controlled substance.

Read about sentencing in the Anoka County Jail