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Pre-sentencing

Interview with Jorge, Laura, Terry and Eva

JM: Tell us about the pre-sentencing process:
Jorge: during the pre-sentecing process I was taken in from the holding tank to this other holding tank and made to sit there on the hard concrete slab that they call a bench for about 3 hours. Then they came and took about 12 of us in front of the judge where we were all givin the sentence that the judge and the court paid lawyers had already agreed to before even meeting us. In other words we had no part in the decision making process of our sentence. Then after all that was done we were taken back to the holding tank and givin a bologna sandwich and some stale fritoes for lunch. Made to wait for a couple of hours more than taken back to our holding tanks.
Laura: I was out on bond, so no pre-jail time.
Terry: I was taken from court, in a suit, to a holding cell where I was harassed for my attire. Soon after my intake the other inmates found out that one of the other prisoners was a presumed child molester, so we all stood on the bench, facing the wall (no witnesses) while he was beaten.
Eva: The pre sentenceing process is long I set in booking for about 30 hours before I was transported to the jail facility were I set anither 31 days before I could even go to court to see if I would be released or sentenced. My court date was acrually moved twice

JM: Did you have police stop by your house for questioning? If not please give us details on how you came to be arrested.
Jorge: No I didnt.
Laura: No
Terry: I was stopped for DUI. I was speeding after work going bar to bar. I was in a bad frame of mind at that time, and was contemplating suicide. The officer (Wallace) was quite nice to me and even allowed me to smoke a final cig on the way into the justice center.
Eva: I had a warrant for not going to court after getting out on bail. The police surronded my house around 11pm and knocked on my door I was allowed to throw on clothes and was handcuffed and led outside in the rain for everybody to see. The police were very rude and said I resisted so they felt need to be forceful

JM: What was court like? Please give as many details as you recall.
Jorge: It was very imbaressing since I wasnt allowed to shower or shave or change my closes before hand.
Laura: I went to court several times over a 2 year period before I was actually sentenced.
Terry: Court in Tennessee is a good 'ol boy network. The best lawyer you can have is one who knows all of the DAs. It is pretty much like clique of gossipy girls. There was one lawyer in there (DUI Mike, RIP) who was selling t-shirts that with the number .08.
Eva: Court was dreadful I set in a holding cell for about 7 hours before I talked to anybody mental health came and evaluated me said I was a good canidate However my judge. Judge evans said no that I was a drug addict despite no drug charges and then immediatly put my sentence in effect

JM: What were your original charges? What did you end up being convicted of?
Terry: DUI second offense - convicted
Eva: Shopliffting. Theft under 500.. I was convicted of failure to comply on unsupervised probation

Read about sentencing in the Davidson County Jail