Futures decided with pounding of judge’s Gavel
By Chester Allen
Emerald Reporter
It's 1:30 p.m at the Lane County jail
A young woman in a rod T-shirt emp
ties knys and loose change from her
pockets and loads her three small chil
dren through a metal detector into the
jail's courtroom.
A beefy sheriff’s deputy closes the
courtroom door, and the electrically con
trolled lock snaps into place.
The daily Lane County District Court
arraignment session is about to begin
Four othor people, throe mon and one
woman, are already scattered throughout
tho spectator seating. The woman tells
her children to bo quiet, saying "remem
ber children, just like last timo.”
Across the room. 11 men and two
women dressed in dark gray prison shirts
and pants sit in a row of shiny, brown
plastic chairs. Two of the men listen in
tently to their lawyers
A judge's bench is in the center of the
courtroom, between tho two sets of
chairs. A sheriffs deputy stands guard in
front of each of the courtroom’s three
doors.
Sunlight filters into the dimly lit room
from a row of small windows set high in
the wall behind tho judge's bench.
The bailiff pounds a gavel, and the
spectators, prisoners and lawyers stand
as District Court Judge Dayrl Larson en
ters the courtroom.
The first prisoner's name is called.
At an arraignment, a judge reads the
legal charges against the accused and ex
plains the possible sentence that would
follow a guilty plea or conviction. Thu
prisoner is then asked to enter a plea If
the plea is not guilty, the judge sets a tri
al date and determines whether the pris
oner has an attorney.
You should know that
probation Is a leash that
can be Jerked, and you
can be put In Jail for one
year. This Is the last
chance for you
— Daryl Larson.
District Court judge
During the hearing, most of the prison
ers plea not guilty on a variety of
charges, including grand thofl, resisting
arrest or driving under the Influence of
alcohol.
Moving swiftly through each case, Lar
son reminds each prisoner of their legal
rights He then sets a trial or hearing date
and urranges legal representation for
those prisoners without a lawyer.
The woman in the red T-shirt leans
forward when n tall, bearded man stands
before Larson. After his plea of not
guilty, a sheriffs deputy motions him
through a door back to his cell.
After the man leaves, the woman fidg
ets with her watch and smiles down ut
her children.
Tho session drones on. with prisoner
after prisoner pleading "not guilty ”
However, a woman with stringy blond
huir and dark smudges under her eyes
pleads guilty to her charge, and Larson
decides her future in a matter of minutes
Kandi Sue Morris of Eugene pleads
guilty to one count of prostitution, a
Class A misdemeanor with a possible
sentence of one year in Lane County Jail
As Morris stands before Lurson. her at
torney. Phil Tufts, presents a pi mi bar
gain he urranged with Lane County As
sisLant District Attorney Floyd I'rozanski
Tufts usks that Morris be released to
Sunrise House, an inpatient drug rehabil
itation program located in huge no In ad
dition. Tufts proposes that Morris serve
IB months of probation, submit to an
HIV test, agree to publicly disclose the
results and agree to fit) hours of commu
nity service
Morris stares at her feet as Tufts reads
the proposed agreement to Larson
After listening to the plea bargain, l.ar
son directly lectures Morris
Larson asks Morris if she Is guillv of
one charge of prostitution Morris says
&___&-* ..J
(*4fV)x by ♦***»♦«* /*murn*
she is Huklty and starts to cry
A sheriffs deputy hands Morris somo
tissue
Tufts says Morris is at the end of her
rope, and that “she fears for tier life
After glancing through some papers,
Larson sentences Morris to a minimum
of three months in Sunrise Mouse, SO
hours of community service and fines
her SI50
Larson also requires Morris to notify
the court of any change of address and to
Turn to JAIL, Pago 7
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