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- Hi, everyone, I'm Dan Abrams, and this is "Court Cam."
- You should be ashamed of yourself.
- I want dude off my case. [spits]
- Got a runner.
[yelling]
- Get out!
- This is not TV court. This is for real.
♪ ♪
- First up, we head to
Conyers, Georgia, for a hearing.
23-year-old Donell Anderson has been charged with
felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault,
and possession of a firearm during a crime.
Three weeks earlier, according to police reports,
Anderson's wife, 30-year-old Imani Robinson,
and two of her four young children
left her mother's house after dinner.
When Imani's mother didn't hear from her,
she notified police.
Her children were found unharmed.
But 11 days later, authorities discovered Imani's vehicle
30 miles from her home,
completely burned from the inside.
And the next day, with the help of cadaver dogs,
they found Imani's body not far from the vehicle.
Police found traces of Imani's blood inside her home,
so they went to speak with Anderson
at an apartment nearby.
After a brief standoff,
Anderson was taken into custody.
He was officially charged with killing his wife
and held without bond.
Police say they discovered no motive for the crime.
Today, Anderson appears before Judge Phinia Aten
as the prosecution presents new charges
of cruelty to children since they believe
Anderson killed Imani
in front of the two youngest kids.
- The judge then allows Imani's parents
to take the stand
and speak directly to the man
who allegedly killed their daughter.
- When she's finished, Imani's father has
a few parting words for Anderson.
- No, you cannot do that, sir.
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- Anderson's brother, Cedarius Glaze,
who police arrested for allegedly assisting Anderson,
was charged with arson, tampering with evidence,
and concealment of a dead body.
His case is pending.
As for Anderson, he has yet to enter a plea
and his case is also pending.
If found guilty of all charges,
Anderson could be sentenced to death.
The four children are all in the care of
their maternal grandparents.
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Next we're in Lansing, Michigan, for a probation
review hearing.
44-year-old DeShawn Fifield is on probation
for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
A year and a half earlier, Fifield was arrested
for drinking and driving, his third OWI offense.
He pled guilty and was sentenced
to two years probation and a fine of $2,940.
Today, Fifield appears remotely
before Judge Stacia Buchanan
after committing several probation violations.
But before things begin,
the judge takes exception to the defendant's
overly casual appearance.
- OK, Mr. Fifield, you're going to sit up.
You're in court.
- Yeah, OK. I will.
[stammering] I lost my phone.
- OK.
That's fine.
Just make sure that you act like you're in court
and we'll get started, OK?
- That's fine.
- All right, Mr. Fifield, you're here for
probation violation arraignment.
If you have violated the probation,
since you're on probation for an OWI third offense,
worst case scenario is sentenced to
up to five years in prison.
Do you understand the possible penalties
of violating probation?
- Yes, I do.
- Do you understand the alleged violations?
- I do. - OK.
Would you like a public defender to help you?
- Listen.
The whole thing is, what I'm trying to say is
I understand everything that I did before.
- OK, Mr. Fifield, you're drunk.
I can tell.
You're going to report to court
by the end of the day today
or I'm issuing a bench warrant for you, OK?
Get a ride. Come down here.
- [indistinct mumbling] Listen.
What I'm trying to say is-- listen.
Can you please listen? - OK.
- One second. - Yeah, I'm listening,
and I also can tell you're intoxicated, Mr. Fifield.
- Yes, I am intoxicated.
- Yep.
- I'm not going to lie.
Look--
- Mr. Fifield, you need to come down here
so that we can address this.
- I want to go-- I want to go to rehab.
- Well, that would be very well.
But you need to come down here.
Get a ride here today so that we can address this
and we can talk about rehab, OK?
- I really need it.
- If you're serious about that, I need to see you today.
Get a ride here today. - All right. All right. OK.
I will. - All right.
I'll see you later today. Bye-bye.
- In your court office?
- Yep, come to my court and we will address it.
- OK. - OK. Bye-bye.
- Bye.
- But Fifield did not show up to court that afternoon
and the judge issued a warrant for his arrest.
11 days later, Fifield finally did appear in court.
He pled guilty and was released on a new $2,000 bond.
His case is pending.
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- Next we're in Wyandotte, Michigan, for an arraignment.
43-year-old Todd Davis has been charged with
operating a vehicle while intoxicated,
driving with a suspended license,
and driving with an open container.
Today he appears from the Wyandotte Jail
before Judge Elizabeth DiSanto,
hoping to be released on a personal bond.
He's represented by attorney John Goldpaugh.
- All right and, sir, you can hear
and see your attorney, correct?
- Pardon me?
- You seem to be having some issues with your hair.
Can you just tuck it behind your ears?
- Yeah, they took my tie.
Yeah. - That's fine.
That's fine. It's OK. All right.
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- I don't have the money.
- Excuse me.
- Davis seems unhappy with his bond amount.
- Davis continues to plead his case.
- Thank you, your honor.
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- Mr. Davis, come on.
- Davis later pled guilty to driving while intoxicated
and driving with an open container.
The suspended license charge was dismissed
and he was sentenced to 90 days in jail.
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- Next, we're in El Dorado, Kansas, for an arraignment.
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35-year-old Dennis McCoy has been charged with
possession of marijuana,
possession of drug paraphernalia,
speeding, and driving without a license.
He appears today from the county jail
without an attorney before Judge David Ricke
to hear if he'll make bond.
- What plea do you wish to enter today, Mr. McCoy?
- I would like to plead guilty.
But if it's OK, I'd like to address the court.
- Well, you understand that possession of marijuana
by itself carries up to six months in the county jail
and a $1,000 fine or both?
- I do.
Sir, I understood that-- it was my understanding that
it had been decriminalized in the state of Kansas.
Now I find I think that's just the city of Wichita.
So I was unaware of that.
Obviously that's no excuse,
but I'm not, like, some stupid stoner.
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I own a business. I employ people.
I smoke a single joint at night so I can sleep.
That is literally--
- May not want to go any further with that right now.
- Before considering his plea,
the judge wants to discuss McCoy's other case,
a 2020 cocaine possession charge out of Nebraska
for which he's now violated his probation.
- Sarpy County, Nebraska has made
a demand for your surrender.
Do you want to arrange for your own transfer back to Nebraska
and deal with this?
That's what we call a waiver of extradition.
- And there's no way we can work around that?
Like, I own a business. I employ people.
Payroll isn't going to happen if I can't get out of here.
- All right, so my question again is,
do you wish to waive extradition
and agree to return to Sarpy County, Nebraska,
to face whatever it is that you do face there
on this probation matter?
- I will lose absolutely everything.
I'll lose my home. I'll lose my business.
I'll lose my vehicles.
So again, I ask you, is there any way
to do this from a position of house arrest
so I can continue to run my business?
- OK, my answer would be no.
- I'm just gonna lose everything?
- Well, all right, that's not involved here.
Mr. McCoy, I just have business I have to conduct.
- The judge is ready to move on,
but McCoy isn't quite done yet.
- So I just turned 35.
When I turn 35, my trust fund
is meant to distribute me $150,000.
I never intended not to deal with Sarpy County.
I just had to do it from a position
where I wouldn't lose everything I worked for.
But I'm not-- I'm not here to run.
I want to cooperate and I want everything accomplished
so I can put all of this behind me
and just move forward.
- Are you wanting to waive counsel
and enter a plea today?
You don't have to.
- Yes, I would like-- I would like legal counsel.
- All right. Very well.
I'll set bond in the Kansas case at $3,000 cash
or professional surety required.
And the date that I have for the misdemeanor docket
is October 2.
- The judge tries to wrap things up,
but McCoy still has questions.
- So does that mean I'm potentially
being held until October?
- Yes.
- Sir, I am not a criminal.
This does not seem proportionate.
- When Nebraska officials are notified,
I don't know what they're going to tell the jail staff.
Maybe their judge will set a bond for you
in the Nebraska case. I do not know.
- Is there no way to move up the trial of the Kansas case?
- Your attorney can make that request.
All right.
- McCoy was freed after posting $3,000 bond
and his Kansas case is pending.
As for his Nebraska case,
McCoy has yet to return to Sarpy County
and a warrant for his arrest remains active.
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- Next we head to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a civil hearing.
36-year-old Joseph Jenkins and his girlfriend,
46-year-old Sateba Cunningham,
are being sued by their landlord, Arbor One,
for back rent of $5,229.68.
Jenkins is refusing to pay
because he claims that certain home repairs
were not completed in a timely fashion.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Cheryl Luckoff.
The judge is Cedric Simpson.
- OK, where are we on this?
- The landlord tried to enter on July 25th
and was refused entry.
It's landlord's position at this point
due to the refusal for entry
that any repairs are waived.
And we are seeking a judgment of possession
for the full amount of rent, which is $5,229.68.
- The judge checks in with Jenkins,
who's representing himself.
- But hold on a second.
Did those get completed?
- What are we now fighting about?
- So what is now wrong with the unit?
- Did you pay the rent?
- So, sir, how much do you think you owe?
- Seriously?
You think you get 100% abatement?
- That's not gonna happen.
- You can't do that.
- I mean, you denied them access.
- Which, just for the record,
the landlord did not receive a copy of.
- [chuckles]
You are simply amazing.
- Judge Simpson turns his attention to the co-defendant.
- Miss Cunningham, anything you want to say?
- I wasn't talking to you.
- You know what, young man?
I'm going to tell you one thing right now,
and I'm going to tell you, you better check yourself.
So I'ma give you a minute to go out into the hallway.
Otherwise, what's gonna end up happening is
you're gonna be in contempt.
I was talking to Miss Cunningham.
I wasn't addressing you.
I don't know why you felt a necessity to interrupt her
as she's addressing the court.
So you might as well take yourself
out of this courtroom right now.
Right now!
And when you feel like you can behave yourself,
then you can come back in.
- After a few minutes, Jenkins rejoins the hearing.
- I support Mr. Jenkins in the sense that
I have people that I can stay with.
So I have options. I don't believe he does.
- All right.
Mr. Jenkins.
- If I find in plaintiff's favor
and you have to pay 5,000 plus
in ten days, are you gonna be able to do that?
- Let me ask you this.
- You know something, Mr. Jenkins,
I've been doing this for a long time.
And...
I don't think you're a bad person.
I don't. I think you were angry.
You weren't sure how to get yourself out of this.
And so you just kind of puffed up.
And it wasn't gonna get you anywhere.
Isn't this a much better conversation to have?
- All right. So here's what I'm gonna ask you to do.
Go out. Talk to the landlord.
Give them a proposal as to how you're gonna get this
paid off and caught up. - OK.
- OK? All right.
- Judge Simpson ruled in favor of the plaintiff.
Jenkins set up a payment plan to settle his rent.
Then after Jenkins failed to pay,
the court issued an eviction order
and the case is now closed.
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That's it for this edition of "Court Cam."
I'm Dan Abrams. Thanks for watching.
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