I have reason to believe that the defendant is in the same apartment as the complaining witness right now, and I am extremely scared for her safety. There were five additional employees with 15 years of employment and 14 more recognized for a decade of service to the county. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. More than seven minutes into the hearing, as Harris' attorney objected to a question by prosecutor Deborah Davis, the woman appeared to look off camera to her right. Also, if Judge Middleton ever sees this, I think the hair is great. St. Joseph County District Judge Jeffrey Middleton ordered the defendant to walk outside and show him the number on the home from which he was Zooming. Counties | Were serious as a heart attack, the judge said. [2] It was not immediately clear what additional charges he will face following the court hearing. The latest virtual snafu happened when a defendant logged into an arraignment hearing with an unfortunate moniker Buttfucker 3000. He said his boss picks him up and takes him to work. from the Wayne State University School of Law. Coby Harris, of Sturgis, is accused of assaulting his girlfriend in her home, and when both of them appeared in the hearing remotely, Assistant District Attorney Deborah Davis knew something wasn't right. Take the cigarette out of your mouth, the judge said. When Judge Middleton noted that the fine for this offence is normally $200, Saxton appeared to change his mind, admitting to being in possession of the syringe and other paraphernalia. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Shortly after the woman let officers inside, her box on Zoom vanished and Harris' did, too. The balance of rights under the law absolutely does not require this, she said. Family had tipped them off, she said, and then police were knocking outside as she tried to answer questions. Middleton, who has gained attention as a visual curiosity after not having his hair cut in more than 18 months, quickly expressed his gratitude to the five-member county commission. The video even has her home address they made me say it twice.. } Both Harris and Lindsey were attending a livestream court hearing March 2, along with attorneys and Judge Jeffrey Middleton. background-color: #003388; When Lindseys livestream came back online, Harris was being handcuffed. He later identified the person on the other end of the line as a police officer who went to Lindseys home. At that moment, Davis told the court that police officers were knocking on the door of Lindseys apartment. .widget-row.value-only.black { [1] Judges Jeffrey C. Middleton (Chief Judge) Robert K. Pattison Paul Stutesman See also St. Joseph County, Michigan Courts in Michigan Judicial selection in Michigan External links Michigan Courts, "St. Joseph County" Thirty-three people with milestone anniversaries as St. Joseph County employees were recognized by the county board this week. State legislature | Speaking in front of a nondescript. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Going forward, he said, he probably will post hearing recordings for only a short time. As ordered by the Michigan Supreme Court at the time, YouTube live-streams began as a way to remain transparent during Zoom hearings, as public court hearings allow people to watch. } Then well bring this fool in, Middleton said, as the offensive name popped up before the mans face appeared. State and local courts | When asked his location, Harris told the judge he was at a home on East Lafayette Street. } Middleton ran for re-election to the 3B District Court.General: He was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. To some, the derailed, viral hearing was the story of a hero prosecutor and an only-during-a-pandemic problem: a Zoom proceeding cut short as it became clear that a defendant was tuning in from the apartment of his alleged victim. Does An In Depth Analysis Predicting SCOTUS Decisions Help You Wind Down? In a statement, three committee members Robert Megna, Peter Madonia and Seymour Lachman said they couldn't support increasing judicial salaries while it's still uncertain how Cuomo and lawmakers will close the budget hole. I believe you drove wherever you are in the vehicle youre in and youre dumb enough to go on video with you sitting in the drivers seat of a vehicle. "You've hit bottom and you're continuing to dig.". .widget-row.value-only { ", Middleton scolded him and said, "I'll put you in the waiting room, you can sit in limbo for a while and think about what you call yourself online.". Also consider other hobbies. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Her answers to the prosecutors questions were also evasive. The alleged victim in the. "I'm at 2 percent right now.". Harris is charged with assault, which is usually punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This is an issue we didnt have when we were having live court, the judge said. The clip was subsequently posted on various social media platforms by entertained viewers. J: "And 30 days in county jail!" The crowd erupts into cheering, people high-fiving each . He said he didnt want to appear in court while at someones house. margin-top: 1px; background-color: #f9f9f9; In addition to the definitely overloaded car, he was speeding 75 mph down a country road. About Community. ", People think its clear cut," she said. County board chairman Dennis Allen introduced Middleton. They combat COVID vaccine hesitancy by going door-to-door:Their goal? Lillywhite said he has seen a number of faces on the county commission, and he appreciates its involvement in working for the betterment of the sheriffs department. This pay is 61 percent higher than average and 63 percent higher than median salary in County Of St Joseph. .widget-key { Strangers have been messaging her and friend-requesting her on Facebook, she said, sharing similar stories. Since then, judicial salaries have steadily increased in New York, first with a 27% raise over three years beginning in 2012 and a tie-in to federal judge pay rates starting in 2016. However, Judge Middleton explained that doing so made another reason to end the streams, as it takes "15 steps" to remove it, making it "cumbersome.". It was a sharp-eyed prosecutor, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Deborah Davis, who first noticed that something appeared off. Deborah Davis, assistant prosecuting attorney for St. Joseph County, Mich., reacts as defendant Coby Harris is arrested during a March 2, 2021, court hearing held via Zoom. Coby James Harris, 21, of Sturgis, faces an assault charge stemming from a Feb. 9 argument with his girlfriend, Mary Lindsey. This is the first time to my knowledge, if he is in the same venue, that this has occurred.. He should have been a stand-up comedian and I say that because hes emceed a lot of things hes very well spoken, and makes things happy and fun, Allen said. Your name is not Buttfker 300, you yo-ho, logging into my court with that as your screen name, the judge snapped. This isnt the first time Judge Middleton and APA Davis have gone viral for their legal work. During a defendant'svirtual arraignment at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday in 3B District Court in Centreville, Judge Jeffrey Middleton asked him his name after reading the name tag for the Zoom account he used to log into the hearing: "Buttf-----3000. He appeared in court, from the inside of car in the drivers seat and yes, he still had a suspended license. Top billing went to district court judge Jeff Middleton, who has been with the county 40 years. It is definitely possible to balance the competing interests of privacy and access, and we have suggested that courts stream hearings, then immediately take them down at the conclusion of the hearing. Michigan Probate Courts, Courts in Michigan Michigan judicial elections Judicial selection in Michigan, What's on my ballot? Michigan Circuit Court In that case, Judge Middleton immediately revoked bail, and had the defendant taken into custody. Court documents released to The Post also give little information beyond stating that Harris has been previously convicted of assault. A Michigan man reportedly made an ass of himself when he signed in for a virtual arraignment on Zoom using the screen name Buttfker 3000.. But in a Facebook posting earlier this week, she said she had broken out of an abusive relationship and was looking forward to a new life with her child. }

} "Just like school board meetings or city council sessions, court hearings on YouTube keep the public informed and educated. Jeffrey "Drunk driving, I hearby sentence you to." a murmur starts up in the stands . Judge Middleton pointed to the viral videos as one of the reasons for the end of the broadcasts, with fears of the streams being used for entertainment instead of the intended educational purposes. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. The live-streams began in May 2020, after courts turned to using Zoom during the pandemic. Released from jail last month as his case was pending, Harris had come back to the apartment they shared, Lindsey said, in violation of no-contact orders. So, your honor, for 40 years of service to the community, I cant thank you enough.. I don't know why I lied to you.". Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. I dont even think this phone has the charge for that, Harris said. General: He was unopposed in the general election on November 3, 2020.Cite error: Invalid tag; name cannot be a simple integer. A proposal would have frozen judges' salaries in 2020 before granting them cost-of-living increases in 2021, 2022 and 2023. He. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Radical NY senators get a well-deserved slapdown from acting top judge, Jussie Smollett appeals conviction for hate crime hoax, argues bias, AG aims gun at experts head to dismiss Murdaugh defense theory, Alec Baldwin not allowed to drink alcohol, own gun after not guilty plea in Rust shooting. .widget-row { Michigan District Courts She said she told prosecutors she did not want to participate, knowing that she would be on display. In their last brush with acclaim, Davis was the prosecutor who noticed something was amiss during a hearing in an assault case, and it turned out that defendant was appearing at the hearing FROM THE VICTIMS HOUSE, despite having a no-contact order. } You know nothing happened, she said he told her. Knocking on the door.. The county responded with annual salary data for 4,906 total employees. Editor's note: This story contains language some may find profane.