Indictments?/Phil Campbell Shooting

When our blog was fairly new, we had information that a Colbert County fire was arson and that arrests were definitely in line to be made. At that time we had one persistent critic who repeatedly questioned the delay. After a year or so, two men were arrested after an indictment. Often there is no arrest until an indictment, but even if there is, an indictment can take months or even a year.

Last February, there was a shooting in Phil Campbell. Of three suspects who allegedly fired multiple times into an occupied dwelling, only two have been arrested. One has now been indicted:

Tajah Brown

A second man, J.J. Common, was returned to prison in Limestone. We understand he may face a federal indictment rather than state charges due to his previous legal wranglings.

We're seeing nine month delays in Lauderdale County and similar times in Colbert if the district attorney doesn't rush proceedings through. Is justice delayed justice denied? If anyone wants quicker justice, we suggest more taxes. After all, Brian Lindsey swears by it.

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Will the Muscle Shoals superintendent get an almost doubling of property tax to fund his school system? Our guess is no. How much will the tax referendum cost the taxpayers of Muscle Shoals? If anyone comes up with a figure, please send it to us. Every citizen of Muscle Shoals has a right to know.

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We presume everyone has heard about Roy Moore's lawsuit against the state. It was filed in Montgomery Circuit Court, but apparently the correct venue would have been federal court. So much for Roy's "slip and fall" attorney Trent Garmon and his legal expertise. So much for Roy's as well, it would seem.

Doug Jones has now been certified as the winner of the special election, and Roy...well, we presume Roy is at home in Gadsden plotting his next move. Makes you feel secure, doesn't it?

J.J. - Sociopath to the End

Alabama’s criminal justice system—it should mean more than simply having law breaking judges on the bench. Sadly, in many cases the system is broken. Case in point: J.J. Common.

In Need of Legal...and Sartorial...Help

We’re pretty sure many in the Shoals were like us earlier today when we saw J.J.’s photo online. We shouted “J.J.!” out loud and began to laugh. Sure, it’s funny…but then again, it isn’t.

J.J. is a violent man. Yet, we’ve heard he’s charming and all that. Good for him. Not too many with bullet holes in their vehicles can be called charming. Not many men who rape young girls and beat up girlfriends can be called charming.

We’re going to ask again: Why wasn’t J.J. in prison? We’re going to ask if his current charges for attempted murder and trafficking in three different drugs will put him away as a habitual offender this time?

We’re sorry for his mother and his aunt, but they assisted in making him what he is…a sociopath who knows his family will help him beat the system. Let’s hope the system wins this time.

More on J.J.

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The superintendent of Sheffield schools says a recent bullying incident was heart-rattling. We’re pretty sure it’s going to be purse-rattling as well.

SEC Primary/Sadie Hawkins Day

Tomorrow is SEC Primary Day. Vote…but don’t vote blindly. We hope everyone has researched the candidates thoroughly by now. It’s not a beauty contest or a popularity contest. It’s an election that has consequences for all citizens. Here again are our endorsements:

State Board of Education Place 7: Jim Bonner

Colbert County Commission Place 5: Roger Creekmore

Lauderdale License Commissioner (D): Tony Cox

Lauderdale License Commissioner (R): Billy Hammock

Lauderdale County Commission District 1: John Hargett

Lauderdale County Commission Chair: Danny Pettus

Lauderdale Circuit Judge Place 1: William Smith

Lauderdale Circuit Judge Place 2: Will Powell

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Bad Boys & Their Pen Pals

Perhaps you read recently of Florida inmate Mark DeFriest, a 55 year-old man who’s been incarcerated since he was 19. While it’s an interesting story in itself, another remarkable facet to DeFriest’s tale is that he’s married to an 85 year-old woman whom he met via what’s termed a “pen pal scheme.” We’re not sure why it was labeled a scheme, but obviously many inmates use women while they’re on the inside.

John Wesley Akin

We’ve been contacted by one woman, a mother of two small children, who was (and perhaps still is) a pen pal of J.J. Common, and we’ve also been told that Wes Akin has a prison pen pal account. We can’t definitely say that any man in prison won’t go straight once free, that he won’t make a good husband and father, that he will never be able to support himself honestly. What we can say is it’s infinitely better to wait until these men are once again free and then re-evaluate any relationship with them. Once married, it’s a little bit difficult to go your separate ways. We’ll add that sending them your hard earned money isn’t exactly brilliant either. Nor is having unprotected sex with them once they’re out.

So how many women reading this, young or old or anywhere in between, think this applies to them? Our guess would be zero, but if we can reach just one that’s a major victory.

That being said, today is Sadie Hawkins' Day. If you’re looking, why not ask out that nice guy in the office down the hall or the new guy at church? Just be sure to first ask if they’re on probation or under indictment.

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Downtown fine dining? Check out the health department scores for two Court Street eateries published in yesterday’s TD. The Pie Factory scored only 78, while Ricatonni’s barely beat them at 80. Perhaps this will narrow down the location of your Sadie Hawkins’ Day date.



Shoalanda

No Wake Up Calls for These Bad Boys?

Presley

When rehab doesn't work:

Everyone in Franklin County knows Elvis Adam Presley—the perennial bad boy that is. He even once recruited an immediate family member to bring him drugs to the Franklin County Detention Center. He has more felony arrests than his namesake had Grammys. His latest was in Florence in November for shoplifting.

Next comes Jock Bo Riley. He hasn’t limited himself to just one county, but has had felony arrests in Lauderdale, Franklin, and Marion. His record goes back at least 7 years; his most recent arrest being a parole revocation. He's currently incarcerated in the Franklin County Detention Center with a release date of February 3, 2017.

Then there’s Gerald Winston Surratt Jr. He’s had arrests in Lauderdale and Colbert Counties and was on the area’s most wanted list for over a year. His criminal career has heated up in the past few months with new arrests in December and just this month for burglary and theft. Sources say he’s still a suspect in a major crime from a few years ago.

Let’s not forget J.J. Common. You have to hand it to someone with enough chutzpah to shoot a high school football player in the middle of a game. It’s too bad chutzpah doesn’t come with common sense. J.J.’s latest conviction was a few months ago for attempting to burn down the Colbert County Jail.

Scott

No “Bad Boy List” is complete without Andrew Daniel Scott. His rap sheet goes back at least six years and his AlaCourt record is four pages long. A PNS article recently revealed that Scott was AWOL for a week last year after another stint in drug rehab. The court didn’t have to issue a warrant for his capture since he already had one outstanding for failing to show up in District traffic court on a speeding charge. Yet all he received for these infractions was 90 days total in the detention center. He’s now back in community corrections, and it’s anyone’s guess what that means. Why he wasn’t charged with escape is also anyone’s guess.

What do our bad boys have in common? Utter disregard for the law, chronic drug abuse, no father in the home during many of their formative years, and almost zero chance at any decent future. Presumably all have been through drug rehab, some more than once. Maybe the most frightening thing about these habitual offenders is that our readers tell us women support them both emotionally and financially while they’re incarcerated.

Somehow we’re reminded of Slimy Bastard….



Shoalanda