Return to the Sins of Franklin County

First, let's visit the Franklin County seat in Russellville; in fact, let's visit the courthouse. When last we commented on Judge Terry Dempsey, it was to lament the fact that he gave convicted killer Hershel Dale Graham only two years to serve in prison. We'll note that Graham is still appealing and has yet to serve more than two days.

However, now we're focusing on a civil trial. It's one of which we were not aware and appreciate a faithful reader for sending us the link:

Judicial Hellholes

Yes, the case is over two years old, but such suits are rare in Franklin County. We'll assume the software company appealed the huge judgment since there seems to be plenty of cause.

*****

Now let's amble over to the little town of Red Bay. It seems that those city employees who work in trash collection and at the landfill are not supposed to take any of the trash home with them, no matter how wonderful. Whether this law is useful in some way or not, we'll let the readers decide. Nevertheless, it's a rule and should be followed.

One trash collector recently discovered a very usable train case placed on the street with other refuse. He promptly took it to a family member who was in need of one for short trips. Sadly, Murphy and his law were on hand, and the owner of the train case called to say the item was placed in the refuse pile by mistake.

The employee who took the case admitted it and was suspended for ten days. Not only was the employee who took the case suspended, a second employee who was aware of the incident was also suspended. Besides the ten-day suspension, the two workers were placed on six-months probation.

Does the punishment fit the crime? What would we have done in the case of the abandoned case? It would seem to us a simple write-up at most would have been sufficient. A verbal warning would have been even more fitting. We doubt either trash collector easily afforded ten days with no pay.

It's been suggested that Red Bay Councilman Mike Stockton is the ideal person to look into reducing the punishment of these two city employees...



Shoalanda

Christie Bray Scott - Murderer or Misjudged? - Part III

As Christie Scott turned herself in, Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing and Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett held the obligatory news conference and photo op. The bearded Rushing reiterated the basic facts of the indictment--three alternative accounts of capital murder, after which the often beleaguered Hargett mumbled over the sadness of it all, failing to remember if Mason was in kindergarten or first grade.

In the nearby courtroom, Circuit Court Judge Terry Dempsey refused bond in the case, even though both Scott's father and husband, with whom she was now ostensibly reconciled, testified that the former Alfa representative was no flight risk. Adorned in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs, Scott was returned to the Franklin County Jail where she has remained.

Don Bray, a successful Woodmen of the World insurance agent in Winston County and self-proclaimed world's greatest chef, arranged for Huntsville defense attorney Robert Barry Tuten to represent his daughter. Tuten, a summa cum laude graduate of Jones School of Law, specializes in capital murder cases and has in the past represented such defendants as Natashay Ward, the Huntsville woman accused of starving her three children to death, as well as Andrew Pakhomov, the UAH physics professor tried for the murder of his wife.

Tuten also asked for a change of venue, another request denied by Judge Dempsey. Dempsey has stated the jury pool for Scott's trial will be increased by 300, bringing the total to 500 individuals in hopes of selecting a fair and open-minded jury. Tuten announced last week that the jury selection process, which begins today, may take as long as five days. He also refused to rule out a second request for a change in venue if he is unhappy with the final selection.

Franklin County is no stranger to murder cases in which a young child was the victim; however, this is the perhaps the first case involving someone of Christie Michelle Bray Scott's socio-economic standing in the community. Her family's money and position have bought her the best defense attorney; it remains to be seen if such factors will influence jurors from provincial Franklin County after they see the photos of Mason's charred body.

Photo of Franklin County Courthouse courtesy of Capitol Shots

A member of V.O.C.A.L. will be in the courtroom and provide us with periodic updates in this case.

Christie Bray Scott - Murderer or Misjudged? - Part II

Three days after the death of Mason Scott, pieces of the puzzle that surrounded his last minutes were already falling into place. Russellville Fire Marshal Bobby Malone had called in the Russellville Police Department, the Alabama Fire Marshal's office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

State Fire Marshal Ed Paulk utilized an accelerant-sniffing dog to determine that the fire was not accidental in nature and that the blaze had originated under six-year old Mason's bed. Could the mildly autistic child have been playing with chemicals that some how ignited? Could an arsonist have known that Jeremy Scott was out of town and used that opportunity to settle some real or imaginary score? The third scenario seemed even more bizarre to authorities: Christie Michelle Bray Scott had herself started the blaze that claimed the life of her older son.

It had been less than three years since a fire had destroyed the family's former home at 35 Steel Frame Road in Russellville. There were no injuries in that fire, and Christie had blamed a Glade air-freshener plug-in for the blaze. While there had been no physical injuries related to the previous fire, the home had been insured, and both Christie and her father Don Bray were insurance agents.

The investigation into the previous fire had been perfunctory at best. Christie was a native of nearby Haleyville, the daughter of Don and Cathy Bray, both leading citizens in the small town. Her husband Jeremy S. Scott was an Information Technology specialist for CB&S, a locally owned bank that had been a Russellville institution for over 100 years. Yet the fire on Steel Frame Road had raised suspicions among many in the community--Christie had been involved in two fires at her family home in Haleyville. Now a fourth fire had claimed not only the young couple's new home, but their child.

Mason had started the first grade at Russellville's West Elementary School on August 4. Less than two weeks later he was dead. Now many who had observed Christie and Mason together characterized the mother as uncaring. Others in the community were surprised that Scott showed so little emotion during her son's funeral at Russellville's Calvary Baptist Church and in the days that followed.

Christie Scott returned to live with her parents in Haleyville, while her husband Jeremy took their younger son to his parents' home in Russellville. The young father also took out a protection from abuse order against his now estranged wife after Mason's autopsy showed large amounts of sedative in his system. On October 26, Franklin County Judge Terry Dempsey issued a warrant for Scott's arrest after her indictment by a grand jury. Information presented during the hearing indicated that Alfa Insurance agent Christie Scott had taken out an additional life insurance policy on her son the day before his death.


Tomorrow: The trial

Update on Keith McGuire Rape Case

Judge Terry Dempsey is scheduled to hand down a ruling within the next few days on the latest action in the Keith McGuire rape case in Lauderdale County. Defense attorney Jeff Austin has been uncharacteristically mum on the December 22 court appearance that was another rung in the ladder to either McGuire's vindication or a conviction that could bring 20 years to life.

In the mean time, McGuire has made copy on an interesting blog with ties to North Alabama. For those interested in "teacher sex," this blog is a must read: jonbenetsblogs.blogspot.com.

(Above is address for search purposes. Here is actual link: http://jonbenetsblogs.blogspot.com/ Article is dated November 30th.)


What's up with this: Ask your bank president what he wants for Christmas--it may very well be a good defense attorney.