Update on Two Lauderdale Circuit Judges

A reader answers the guest commentary on Lauderdale Circuit Court Judge Billy Jackson (pictured):

This entry is very unfair and one sided. How can anyone call this father a “deadbeat dad” when over the past five years he faithfully paid the court ordered alimony and child support? In addition to monthly alimony and child support payments, the Dad paid more than a quarter million dollars through annual installments to the ex-wife over the five year period.

The ex-wife had five years to prepare to move out of a home she did not (nor did she ever) own. She has a four year college degree and does not work. For five years the ex-wife knew the date when she had to leave the home and when the time came she went back to court to fight it. Why was she surprised to be evicted? With all the money received, the ex-wife should have funds to purchase her own home. Stalked and abused?! Considering the other mistruths these statements must also be questioned. The ex-wife chooses to play the victim and pretend she has been wronged. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Keep in mind, Judge Jackson did not preside over the original divorce case. He is simply enforcing the judgment put into place over five years ago. It would have been nice if the court had provided more notice prior to the scheduled eviction but, under the circumstances, the eviction order had to be expected. And understand the ex-wife was not actually evicted. She moved out after getting the eviction notice. The rumor mill says the children (all over the age of eighteen) were not forced to leave the home but decided to go with their mother.

It is not clear whether the Dad is able get life insurance. Judge Sandlin granted the ex-wife alimony (tax free) for the rest of her life. The ex-wife asked the court to guarantee this by having the Dad pay for a substantial life insurance policy but the court never considered the Dad may not be insurable. It is rumored the Dad has no solely owned assets to offer as collateral to guarantee the alimony payments. Sometimes, a person is not compliant with the court through no fault of their own.

The ex-wife received custody of the children along with child support, a generous tax free alimony for life, use of a beautiful home for five years, plus annual payments totaling more than $250K. In what way did the court not treat the ex-wife favorably? It is galling to see the ex-wife state she was mistreated by the court and has the audacity to spread malicious mistruths about the very people who ensure her welfare! Readers should consider the expense and frustration suffered by the Dad over the past five years. Consider he has to pay this ungrateful woman for the rest of his life and beyond! He deserves better than the treatment received in this entry. As do the Judges referenced.

Editor's Note: The fact that the three children all chose to remove themselves from the home at the same time as the mother speaks volumes.

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Lauderdale County Circuit Judge Gil Self, a defendant in a civil rights suit initiated by Mark Davis, has recused himself from from Davis' custody case in answer to a motion from early in July.

Shoalanda

Murder by Family Feud: The Death of Jerry Ivy

Raymond Junior Clemmons

A long-time friend and reader has provided a detailed account of the feud that culminated with the death of Jerry Lewis Ivy on July 19th. Due to the extremely personal nature of much of this story, we are editing many of the details.

Jerry Lewis Ivy died on July 19th at the hands of his first cousin Raymond Junior Clemmons. The mothers of the two men are sisters, and the months of violence that culminated in Ivy's death have taken a toll on all family members.

(We have deleted a large portion of this account at the request of Florence CID. This concerns an ongoing investigation and we are happy to remove the portions concerning details of the murder.)

Standing 6' 4" tall and weighing 230 pounds, the 42 year-old Clemmons is an imposing man with a reputation to match. He remains incarcerated in the Florence Detention Center awaiting a grand jury indictment.



Shoalanda

Letters to Judge/Parole Board Count for Much

The past few days we've discussed bail, grand jury indictments, and plea bargains. Now we come to a part of the judicial system where almost any citizen can have their say. Those accused who don't accept pleas, automatically go to trial. If found guilty, the judge will order sentencing at a later date. Just as with bail, there are set sentence ranges for each crime, and a judge may be asked to consider probation for the offender.

In any crime, no matter how large or how small, the victim and his/her family are not the only ones hurt. Friends, employers, co-workers, neighbors, etc., are all impacted when one becomes a crime victim. Some crimes are so heinous that whole communities are affected. Judges take letters from the public seriously. We encourage everyone who is concerned with crime in our area to write the Circuit Court judges who are deliberating the sentences of those convicted. Obviously, some letters will carry more weight than others, but this is the public's chance to have input into our judicial system. Let's be sure to take it.

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Once convicted and sentenced, the offender is quickly assimilated into the state prison system. Due to tremendous overcrowding in Alabama prisons, early release comes soon for many. Most are released via the state parole system, and this is a second area where your letters count.

As D.K. says, we may not be here in 30 or so years when an offender comes up for parole, but our letters can be. As soon as the offender is issued an AIS number, everyone who has concerns about his/her crime should write the parole board. These letters stay in the offender's file permanently. If you don't give voice to your fears concerning certain offenders, don't complain when you see them on the local streets in only a few months.



Shoalanda

Why a Grand Jury & Why a Plea Agreement?

In the 21st Century, grand juries are unique to the United States, and only about half the states employ them in their judicial system. In Alabama, the prevailing theory is to let a grand jury make the decision of who is indicted and for what. It may be an old system, but it does provide some checks and balances for criminal prosecution.

One reader was particularly concerned with the Jerry Ivy murder. It will be up to a grand jury to decide if shooter Junior Clemmons is indicted for Capital or Felony Murder. Since Ivy was in a vehicle when he was shot, it would seem that this case qualifies as a capital crime.

Another reader was also concerned about plea agreements. We've been astounded at some pleas offered in the Shoals area, but in many cases, they are a prudent choice. If a member of your family is killed, you want to see the perpetrator punished. If a case goes to jury trial, the defendant may walk. It comes down to taking a chance on the killer going free or agreeing to a sure 25 year sentence with no chance of parole.

Currently, Junior Clemmons remains incarcerated in the Florence Detention Center. One of our readers who knew both Clemmons and his victim is preparing some information for us, and we'll  publish it as soon as possible.

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Pen-N-Sword has published a bio of former youth minister Oliver Brazelle. He's truly a man of many accomplishments, and it's sad that his legacy has been marred by these accusations. It's even more sad that the lives of several young Sheffield men may have been horribly hurt by someone they and their families trusted.

Oliver Brazelle

Shoalanda

He's In the Jailhouse Now: Bail

Several readers have asked us how they can ensure those charged with crimes receive the punishment they deserve. In the judicial reality of Alabama, that's an almost impossible task. The first issue some readers have is with bail. Comments usually mention Franklin County where the accused is often stated to be held without bond.

Crimes usually come with a standard bail; in other words not much leeway is given, but in some cases the availability and amount are determined by the judge. The smaller the county and its judicial system, the slower the process may be. It's not that those who commit crimes in Franklin County aren't given the chance to bond out--they just have to wait longer to appear before a judge.

Andrew Daniel Scott July 24th Arrest Photo

Interestingly, just as we began to write this article, we received several e-mails informing us that Andrew Scott was back in jail. For this latest go-round, he is accused of three counts of theft, two counts of forgery, and one count of burglary. Scott has two standard bonds totalling 6K, but remains in the detention center--a fact we found surprising. 

We contacted our source at the courthouse who told us Judge Gil Self has a hold on Hottie Scottie. One of our legal eagle friends then added that Judge Self will probably revoke Scott's previous bond if he should be bailed out on these six new charges. In other words, paying over six hundred dollars for a bail bondsman to spring the Killen resident would be for nought.

A very wise friend of the elder Mr. Scott commented: I hope Roger will wake up and see that the boy needs help, and to continually make excuses for bad behavior invites more bad behavior.

Andrew Scott's May arrests on two previous charges (theft/burglary) have not yet come to trial; therefore, he has no previous convictions (his February 2010 drug charges were adjudicated using youthful offender status). In other words, the six most recent charges will also be considered first offenses. We'll be following his day in court...one we hope mandates drug rehab.

Related post: Update on Andrew Scott

Tomorrow: Who has a say in plea agreements?

Shoalanda

Not All Unhappy to See Smokehouse Go

Smokehouse Employee (Passed Out?) on Pool Table

Apparently not everyone was unhappy to see the longtime Shoals pool hall closed. From a regular reader:

I live approximately one block from the now closed Smokehouse Billiards, aka the pool hall. The traffic since Brindley's closed was unbearable and the people who visited the business were not exactly law abiding folk, at least at night.

I'm sending you a photo of (name censored by editor). He worked there until about a month before the business closed. Right now he's in jail for burglarizing cars of patrons at the downtown business. Maybe it's true that it starts with a "P" which rhymes with "T" which stands for "Trouble."

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We've had some questions about the Jerry Ivy murder. Tomorrow we'll address how the public can have input into any case, including that of Junior Clemmons (Ivy's admitted murderer), the young car thief passed out in today's picture, or any other defendant in any Alabama county.

Shoalanda

Pen? Sword? Pen-N-Sword!

Yesterday we spotlighted The Quad-Cities Daily. Their coverage of the possible sex abuse case in Sheffield has been outstanding. Some readers questioned why no link to the The Connection's new persona, Pen N Sword. Our other Shoals investigative magazine had been offline for a week while installing new software that's more easily updated and user-friendly. We're happy to announce it's now back online, although still tweaking some components in an effort to better serve their readers.

Here's the link, and look for some hard-hitting stories on local government and animal abuse:

Pen N Sword

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It's still a few days until the start of school in the Shoals. Looking for an inexpensive treat for your older children? Something that's not only fun, but provides a much needed service to the area?

May we suggest an afternoon of volunteering at the Florence Animal Shelter? Dress casually and be prepared to bathe, groom, and walk the dogs. We have a feeling they'll even let you cuddle the cats. You don't have to foster or adopt in order to be of service to our animal community. Our shelter is full as of right now, and anything you can do to help the animals find their forever homes will not only be appreciated by the shelter staff, it should also bring you some wet slurpy kisses. What more could you want on a hot day?

Call: 256-760-6676 to set up a time.

Shoalanda