[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- 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.
[people yelling]
- Get out!
- This is not TV court. This is for real.
♪ ♪
- First up, we go to Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
for a bond hearing.
34-year-old Edward Cocaine has been
charged with possession of Xanax without a prescription.
A day earlier, Cocaine was pulled over
for driving with an obscured license plate.
And after the officer found Xanax in an unmarked bottle,
he was arrested.
Today, Cocaine appears before Judge John Hurley
hoping not to blow his chances at making bond.
♪ ♪
- After that line, the judge appears to be speechless.
[laughter]
- Oh, yeah, that was noticed; that was noticed.
- While the defendant's last name
has the courtroom cracking up,
Cocaine shares some background info.
- Yes.
- Yeah.
- After hearing his family history,
Judge Hurley is ready to move on and make
a decision on Cocaine's bond.
- Ooh.
- Cocaine pled not guilty.
But prosecutors soon dropped the charge
after he found an old but still valid prescription
for Xanax.
The case is now closed.
♪ ♪
Next, we go to Atlanta, Georgia,
for a bond modification hearing.
36-year-old Sade Bagnerise has been charged with battery,
two counts of cruelty to children.
Six months earlier, police say Bagnerise,
a model and bartender, confronted a 16-year-old
boy at a bus stop who she believed
was bullying her teenage son.
The single mother of four and her son
allegedly assaulted the boy with Bagnerise
accused of pepper spraying and choking him.
Police say Bagnerise and her son
left the scene before they arrived.
The victim was treated at a nearby hospital
for minor injuries and has made a full recovery.
Bagnerise was arrested, charged,
and released on $31,000 bond.
As part of her bond conditions,
she was ordered to wear a GPS ankle monitor
and have no contact with the victim's family.
Today, Bagnerise appears before Judge
Alex Manning to ask that the monitoring
device be removed.
She's represented by attorney Alex Arca.
- I don't know if you recall the situation.
There was a ankle monitor put on.
He said, come back in 90 days.
If she's had no issues, we'll go ahead and take
off the ankle monitor.
She has had no contact with the victim.
So she's been compliant with that.
In fact, they now go to a different school.
We're just here 90 days later to go
ahead and ask that the ankle monitor be removed.
- The judge checks in with prosecutor Julian Jordan,
who has concerns with some recent social media
posts made by Bagnerise.
- Your Honor, the defendant did post
a few pictures and videos of children involved in a fight.
She also posted a direct message which highlights
the victim's social media.
We are concerned that she is not abiding
by her bond conditions.
And we would ask that Your Honor
deny the motion to modify her bond
in removing the ankle monitor.
- Judge, can I go ahead and make a quick statement?
- Sure. Sure, you can go ahead and respond.
- As far as the post and the blogs,
all she's done is protect her character
and say that she protects her kids.
She did not show the face of the kids at all
or say their name.
All she did was tell her story.
But at the end of the day, I think
the question is, did Ms. Bagnerise
go ahead and violate anything?
She hasn't.
She stayed away.
She's done everything you've asked.
And for that, I ask that you just go ahead
and remove the ankle monitor.
- After hearing from both attorneys
and reviewing the posts,
Judge Manning addresses the defendant.
- I mean, I just Googled this.
And I'm seeing some of this was posted
six, seven, eight days ago.
Why are you doing it right before you come to court?
[no audio]
- You're on mute.
You're on mute, Sade.
- I don't want to hear you say a word, ma'am.
I do not want to hear you say a word.
Stop posting stuff.
Man, these are kids that are involved.
And if you watch my bond hearings
or if you watch the news, children are killing children.
You are pouring gasoline on a fire.
And if one of those children gets hurt, that is on you.
Act like you're a mother.
I mean, God, all you're doing is inciting people.
- The judge has made her point.
- I think she's heard you loud and clear, judge.
And I'll have a frank conversation
with her as soon as I get off.
- What is she doing?
- She's crying.
- All right, but just add that she's not to post
anything else on social media.
She's got a good lawyer.
And you're going to handle this.
Leave it alone.
Leave these children alone.
- Yes, You Honor.
- Am I clear, ma'am?
Just give me a thumbs-up.
- Bagnerise remains free on bond
and must continue to wear the ankle monitor.
She has yet to enter a plea.
If found guilty, she could be sentenced to a maximum
of 20 years in prison.
- Next, we're in Tukwila, Washington,
for a sentencing hearing.
40-year-old Roxanne Jallow has pled
guilty to third-degree theft.
A year earlier, Jallow was arrested
for stealing over $1,500 worth of merchandise
from a department store.
She was given a 24-month deferred sentence with several
conditions, including that she undergo
a substance abuse evaluation.
♪ ♪
Today, Jallow appears before Judge Kimberly Walden
because she's failed to complete the evaluation.
She's represented by attorney Elissa Furlong.
Miss Jallow is saying she didn't fully understand
that she would have to follow through
with recommended treatment.
And she has expressed that she would like to just
address the court herself.
- OK, Miss Jallow.
- Yes?
- So we're on for sentencing.
And presumably, you've had that substance abuse evaluation.
And I'm hearing that you have not done that?
- No.
Miss Jallow, are you telling me that you're going to disregard
the court's order?
- Well, I don't want to do it.
I thought-- my thought on the deferred sentence
is that if I didn't do it, I just didn't do it.
I didn't know that I have consequences.
- Consequences are is that you can get up
to 364 days in jail for this.
♪ ♪
- I accidentally forgot about court.
You know, I have other things going on in my life.
People make mistakes in life.
Sorry, I'm not perfect.
- Well, I think that's what the parties were telling me
by saying, yes, people make mistakes in life,
so give someone a chance.
So go get a substance abuse evaluation,
follow through with the treatment recommendation,
and have an opportunity to get your case dismissed.
You don't have a clean criminal history.
You have criminal convictions.
So the recommendation, this deferred sentence
by both of the parties is rare for someone
with someone with a criminal history.
- That shouldn't even be brought up.
- I appreciate that you're trying
to think that you know how I should be doing my job,
but that's not how it works.
The bottom line is if you're going to go off camera,
you have to come on camera, otherwise,
I'm not going to allow you to--
- OK. What do you want me to do?
OK, I'll go get the drug and alcohol evaluation.
I'm done with this.
I'm done.
- Before wrapping up, the judge decides to give
Jallow one final chance.
- Setting sentencing over.
And you have to get a substance abuse evaluation between now
and that sentencing hearing, where
you have to appear in person.
And then we're going to see, based
on that evaluation, what the appropriate sentence should be.
Hopefully, you still get that deferred so you
can get that case dismissed.
Your next court date-- - Are we done yet?
- Are we done?
- We're not done.
We're not done. - OK.
- Your next court date is March 13th at 10:30.
You will appear in person at the Tukwila
Justice Center for sentencing-- - OK, I'll see you then.
- --with your substance abuse--
don't you dare hang up, Miss Jallow,
or I will order a warrant for your arrest.
♪ ♪
- Well, I mean, what do you want me to do?
You told me my next court date is March 13th.
- What I'd like you to do--
what I'd like you to do is act like you're actually in court.
Do you want to speak to your attorneys before you hang up?
- No.
- OK, come back March 13th here at 10:30 with
the results of your evaluation so we can
go forward with sentencing.
You now are free to leave.
Thank you.
- After the hearing, Jallow got a new attorney,
who asked that her sentencing be rescheduled
to a later date.
Court granted the request.
And her case is pending.
- Next, we head to Akron, Ohio,
for a sentencing hearing.
18-year-old Kavon Jackson has pled guilty to murder.
♪ ♪
A year and a half earlier, police say Jackson
and a friend, who were both 17 at the time,
were at a transit center.
And they got into an altercation with
21-year-old William Howell.
The three boarded the same bus,
and as William made his way
toward the back things escalated,
with Jackson shooting William ten times in the chest--
♪ ♪
--sending bystanders into a panic.
Police arrived within minutes, and after a brief foot chase
apprehended the two teens.
Jackson had the murder weapon in his waistband.
William, the father of a young girl, was rushed to a hospital
and died from his injuries later that day.
Investigators determined that Jackson
did all of the shooting.
So the second teen was not charged.
Jackson was charged as an adult,
but because he was a juvenile at the time of the shooting,
he was not eligible for the death penalty.
Jackson pled guilty.
Today, he appears in court to hear his sentence.
But first, members of William's family
deliver victim impact statements,
beginning with Déjà Parker, William's sister.
- I know I'm not supposed to speak directly to you.
But I want to tell you that no matter what anybody
feel behind me, I forgive you.
We lost two young Black men the day you pulled that trigger.
And I'm sorry for whatever demons
you was facing, whatever anger you was
facing, whatever frustration.
I'm sorry that you couldn't get the help that you needed.
None of this is justice, in my eyes.
Justice would be my brother being here today.
He can't.
So none of this is justice.
It's just the law.
♪ ♪
- Next is William's older sister, Ashley Howell.
- I just wanted to let Kavon know
that you took a lot from me, man.
♪ ♪
I'm William's oldest sister.
And we were just starting to, like, have a bond.
♪ ♪
I saw, you know, the man that he could
have eventually grew to be.
I have so much hate and anger.
♪ ♪
And there's nothing-- it's nothing I can do
to bring him back.
But I just wanted to let you really--
you really hurt me.
And you sit up here.
And it's like you got a smirk on your face.
It's like you don't care.
You don't care.
Your family get to sit.
And they get to see you.
They get to see you in jail.
It's not freedom.
But they get to see you.
I can't see my brother.
He's in an urn in my living room.
Thanks.
Hopefully one day, I can forgive you.
One day.
But right now ain't the day.
- Next to speak is the defendant,
who delivers a brief statement to the court.
- [exhales]
- Take your time.
- To the family of William Howell,
I didn't mean to take his life, you feel me?
I'll don't-- I don't be shooting people.
It was my first time.
I overdid it. I did.
I'm sorry for that.
I'm not saying it's justified for me shooting,
me taking his life.
But I ain't go looking for trouble that day.
- When Jackson's finished, the judge sentenced him
to 18 years to life in prison.
He'll be eligible for parole in 2040
when he'd be 36 years old.
- Next, we go to Wyandotte, Michigan, for an arraignment.
32-year-old Anthony Liberty has been
charged with disorderly conduct as well
as a parking violation.
Two months earlier, police say Liberty was working on his car
while it was illegally parked.
When police questioned him, they say Liberty began arguing
and was uncooperative.
He was arrested, charged, and released on a $500 bond.
Today, Liberty appears before Judge Elizabeth
DiSanto to enter a plea.
He's represented by attorney John Goldpaw, who discusses
the details of a plea deal.
- The court will accept your plea.
He has two bonds counsel?
- OK. Well, when's the last time you were employed?
- Your license was revoked or something?
- OK, so you can't walk to work?
- Why not?
♪ ♪
- Well, how do you support yourself?
♪ ♪
- Well, sir, there are certain factors
that have to take into consideration
when assessing bond.
- Judge DiSanto seems to be getting frustrated.
- You can't work for--
- What does the king mean? What does that mean?
- King or cane?
- The judge moves on and tries to wrap up the hearing.
♪ ♪
- [laughs] I don't even know what to say
about your behavior, sir.
Your behavior is so outrageous.
It's unbelievable.
OK, well, here's what the court's going to do.
- You're going to be submitting 30
job applications because you're not going to be unemployed.
- You are also going to go
on job interviews if you're called.
You're also going to not smoke marijuana
since you do not have a valid
medical marijuana card right now.
- The condition of your bond,
you are not to use any alcohol or drugs
that are not prescribed.
How about that?
- You are not.
I am actually finding it unbelievable that you do
not know when to stop talking.
And your comments are laughable with what
you're saying to this court.
- It's not my fault I'm not working, sir.
- No, sir.
It is your fault. You're choosing
to not get employed anywhere.
You're choosing to not go work anywhere
because it's beneath you.
♪ ♪
- Liberty was released.
And the judge scheduled his sentencing for a later date.
But when he failed to appear, a warrant
was issued for his arrest.
That's it for this edition of "Court Cam."
I'm Dan Abrams.
Thanks for watching.