[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 head to Las Vegas, Nevada,
for a plea hearing.
[tense music]
18-year-old Dustin Langham
has pled guilty to battery by a prisoner.
♪ ♪
Two months earlier,
police say Langham bit the hand of an officer
inside the Clark County Detention Center.
He was in jail for violating his probation
on a separate, unrelated battery conviction.
Today after pleading guilty,
Langham waits with several other inmates
as Judge Bita Yeager goes through her docket.
[chains rattling]
- Hang tight.
- Stay right there. Sit down. - Sit down!
- Without warning, Langham attacks
another inmate, 28-year-old Berdon Bridge.
- [screams]
- Langham lands several punches
before corrections officers intervene.
Bridge is uninjured
and officers quickly remove him from the scene.
- Give me your hand.
- Langham is less cooperative.
- Several additional officers arrived
to help remove the other men.
- Officers and courthouse marshals
are finally able to subdue Langham,
as Judge Yeager discusses the incident with her staff.
- Police say they found no motive for the attack.
And since Bridge didn't want to press charges,
Langham was not charged for the incident.
As for his jailhouse battery charge,
Langham was sentenced to 364 days in prison.
And for violating his probation,
he was given 19 months to four years.
Two sentences will run concurrently.
[tense music]
Next, we're in Ann Arbor, Michigan for an arraignment.
♪ ♪
43-year-old Ryan Johnson
has been charged with home invasion,
assault with a dangerous weapon,
domestic violence, and other charges.
♪ ♪
Three days earlier, police say Johnson and his associate,
46-year-old Julius Clay, who were both allegedly armed,
forced their way into the home of the mother
of Johnson's two-year-old son
and demanded she hand the child over.
After the two men separated, investigators say
Johnson took the child to a nearby hotel.
The next morning, police arrived.
And after a brief standoff, Johnson surrendered.
No one, including the child, was injured
during the incident.
Today, Johnson, who has previous convictions
for armed robbery and hijacking,
appears from the county jail before magistrate Elisha Fink
to hear if he'll make bond.
The state prosecutor is Morgen Barroso.
Johnson's represented
by public defender Chelsea Vergiels.
- We would waive a formal reading of the complaint
and stand mute as to the charges
and ask to address bond.
- Ms. Barroso, go ahead when you're ready.
- First, I would like to make the request
that we are asking for $500,000 cash or surety on this bond.
I do want to emphasize that the defendant has a 2003 conviction
for armed robbery, as well as aggravated vehicle hijacking
with a firearm out of Illinois.
He has an extensive number of B&Es with intent,
as well as an R&O and two counts of home invasion,
second, from 2009.
- So--
- Mr. Johnson, would advise you not to speak at this time.
- Mr. Johnson, I don't have to arraign
you if you're uncooperative.
It's in your best interest to cooperate with the arraignment
so your case can proceed.
Do you understand?
- OK.
We'll--we'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye.
Defendant has refused to be arraigned
by using inappropriate language during
the arraignment proceedings.
- After Johnson spends the weekend in jail,
the parties meet again on Monday.
This time, Johnson appears to have a different attitude.
- Mr. Johnson, we're going to handle your arraignment today.
Ms. Barroso, I don't think we need
to go through everything again.
I think part of what was bothering Mr. Johnson on Friday
is having all of that stuff read out loud,
and I can't blame him.
It's hard to listen to what other people
are saying about you.
- At this time, I would rest on what was
previously stated on Friday.
- OK, thank you.
- Go ahead, Ms. Vergiels.
- Thank you, Your Honor.
I've gotten a chance to speak with my client a couple times
now, and I believe it was an isolated incident.
So I would ask you to consider allowing him to post
10% of whatever cash bond.
- Magistrate Fink is ready to make her bond ruling.
- So there's a fairly violent criminal history,
so that presents a very dangerous situation.
The financial component of the bond, bond has two parts to it.
One is whether the defendant is a flight risk.
I think what speaks to flight risk,
specifically in your situation,
a history of failing to appear in court.
More importantly, though, I think we're concerned
with danger to the community.
So I'm setting the bond at $500 million.
[tense music]
Nope, $5 million. Sorry, too many zeros.
$5 million, no 10%.
♪ ♪
Mr. Johnson, you are all set.
When you're ready, you can stand up and walk to the door.
- Johnson was unable to post bond and remains in custody.
If found guilty on all charges,
he's facing a possible sentence
of 30 years in prison.
He has yet to enter a plea. His case is pending.
As for Clay, he was eventually
arrested on similar charges.
He's being held on $500,000 bond,
has yet to enter a plea, and his case is also pending.
- Next, we're in Toms River, New Jersey,
for a sentencing hearing.
♪ ♪
57-year-old Edward Chandler has pled guilty
to aggravated assault.
♪ ♪
According to police reports, four years earlier,
Chandler was involved in a fight
outside this diner between members of a motorcycle club.
During the fight, Chandler punched
78-year-old Robert Clarke in the face,
knocking him to the ground.
Robert was airlifted to a medical center,
but died from his injuries the next day.
Prosecutors initially charged Chandler
with aggravated manslaughter,
which carries a penalty of ten to 30 years in prison.
But when defense attorneys submitted a report
suggesting Robert's death was related
to a pre-existing medical condition,
the charge was reduced to aggravated assault,
which carries a penalty of three to five years in prison.
Chandler then appeared in court
to accept a deal from the state.
- On September 30 of 2020, you then did knowingly
and purposefully assault Mr. Clarke, correct?
- Correct.
- You understand how your conduct where you assaulted
Mr. Clarke knowingly and purposely,
resulting in him experiencing significant bodily injury,
that that constitutes a third-degree offense
of aggravated assault?
- Correct.
- How do you plead to that offense?
- Today, Chandler appears
before Judge Kimarie Rahill to hear his sentence.
The state's recommending three years in prison.
But first, Robert's children,
who have opposed the plea deal,
deliver victim impact statements to the court
just a few feet away from Chandler.
- My dad was a good man, a solid man
with a great sense of humor,
but who did not suffer fools well.
He could be stubborn and he was definitely set in his ways.
And he certainly wasn't without his flaws.
But all in all, he was a decent, family-loving man
who I miss terribly every day.
- Next to speak is Robert's daughter, Kristina Clarke.
- This isn't what justice looks like.
What kind of precedents are we setting
when a 78-year-old man can get sucker-punched
by a 54-year-old and dies?
[somber music]
Our family does not support this decision
to take this to this plea argument.
Ed Chandler, your actions killed my dad.
You are responsible for his death.
You know it, your lawyer knows it,
and everyone in this courtroom knows it.
♪ ♪
[tense music]
- Before judge Rahill imposes a sentence,
she delivers a message to Robert's family.
- I want to assure you
I understand the impact of those words.
I came to the law as a survivor of violent crime,
the murder of my father,
who would have been 86 yesterday.
But instead, he was killed when he was 34 and I was six.
And I came to the law and I came to the bench
hoping that I could make a difference.
And again, when I hear from victims
that you're feeling revictimized by the process,
it troubles me.
I'm tearing up.
Sir, in connection with count one of indictment
number 2106699, you are hereby sentenced
to three years, New Jersey State Prison.
- As Chandler's removed from the court,
someone from the gallery delivers a parting message.
- Chandler was sentenced to three years in prison.
He'll be eligible for parole after serving one year.
- Next, we head to El Dorado, Kansas,
for an extradition hearing.
♪ ♪
44-year-old Anthony Hayden Jr. has been charged
with stalking, violation of a restraining order,
harassing communications, and several other crimes.
A year and a half earlier, according to court records,
Hayden showed up unannounced
at his ex-girlfriend's apartment
in Western Massachusetts,
where he allegedly began harassing her
and demanding money.
His ex reported the incident to local police
and was granted a restraining order.
Hayden moved to Arizona, but his ex told police
he continued to harass and threaten her
over the phone and on social media,
even telling her that he was driving back
to Massachusetts to see her.
The woman reported the alleged threats to local police,
who pinged Hayden's phone.
And when it appeared in Kansas,
they contacted Kansas authorities, who arrested him.
♪ ♪
Today, Hayden appears without an attorney
before Judge David Ricke to discuss next steps
in the case.
- I have limited information before me, Mr. Hayden.
But it would appear that the Northampton District
State of Massachusetts has made a demand
for your surrender based on allegations there
of threat to commit crime,
telephone calls, electronic communications,
harassment, stalking.
- Am I allowed to speak?
- Just a moment. - Oh, sorry, sir.
- Your options are to either perhaps seek
a writ of habeas corpus with the assistance of your lawyer,
or you can waive extradition procedures,
agree to return to the state of Massachusetts,
and face whatever it is that you face there.
Do you understand that, Mr. Hayden?
- Uh, there's a few words I don't understand.
I'm sorry for that.
Uh, habeas corpus, I don't understand what that means.
But I'd just like to make a general statement.
I left there three years ago.
I haven't seen this girl
or talked to this girl for three years.
I moved 3,000 miles away.
- All right. This court isn't--
Mr. Hayden, this court is not going to review
the factual circumstances which underlie the crime,
because I can't determine your guilt or innocence...
- Right. - Or take any action on it.
- Sorry about that.
- That's on the state of Massachusetts to do.
I just need to determine whether you're
agreeing to return to the state of Massachusetts or not.
- OK. So if I do agree to go back to Massachusetts
for-- by a court date,
does that mean I can pick up my dog now and get my trailer
and drive to Massachusetts and handle it?
[tense music]
- It sounds like Hayden
has a companion for his long journey.
- No. - No, it does not?
So my dog is in--
- It--it means our sheriff's office would notify
the officials in the state of Massachusetts
that you're available for pickup and transport
to Massachusetts. - OK.
So what about my dog here and my trailer and my truck
and everything I own?
I was looking at land down--
- I doubt the state of Massachusetts
is concerned with any of that.
- Well, it's my dog. It's like my daughter.
That's the love of my life.
I mean, I'm concerned about my dog.
[chuckling] So, I mean, you put me in a position--
- That's quite the dedication to your animal.
But the matter that we have before the court today
is to determine whether you're going to return
voluntarily to the state of Massachusetts or not.
- Well, I didn't get to speak to an attorney.
But no, I'm not just going to leave my dog out of here
and--and my truck and my car, no.
So no. That's it. - OK.
- No.
- So you're not going to waive extradition?
- I'm never going to leave my dog behind.
There's no way.
I can lose the truck, I could lose the trailer.
Not Coco. I ain't leaving Coco.
[sentimental banjo music]
- I'm sure Coco appreciates that.
Where's the dog now?
- I have no idea where the dog is.
- Were provisions made for the animal when you were arrested?
- They took me away while Coco was
sitting in the passenger seat.
I don't know. I'm heartbroken.
I'm very hurt about Coco, and...
I don't want to think about it.
- Do you have the financial resources
to hire your own lawyer to represent you on this?
- No, I don't.
I just want to be left alone, man,
with my dog on my own land that I purchased.
That's it.
- Judge Ricke seems to have heard enough
and wraps up the hearing.
- I'm going to set a review date on this case.
The court will not be setting a bond in this case,
and he'll be held in custody until his next hearing.
I hope your dog turns out OK.
- Me too. - Mr. Hayden.
- Thank you, guys.
[upbeat country music]
- Hayden later agreed to be extradited
back to Massachusetts.
He's pled not guilty to all charges
and is being held without bond.
If convicted of all charges,
he could be sentenced to at least 20 years in prison.
As for Hayden's dog, Coco,
she was picked up by a no-kill dog and cat rescue in Wichita
and put up for adoption.
- Next, we head to Tampa, Florida, for a plea hearing.
♪ ♪
80-year-old Trevor Dooley
is pleading guilty to manslaughter.
♪ ♪
11 years earlier,
Dooley was at a community basketball court
when he got into an altercation
with 41-year-old David James, who was there
with his eight-year-old daughter, Danielle.
Police say Dooley was upset
that a teen was riding his skateboard on the court.
When David, an Air Force veteran, defended the teen,
the two men began fighting.
That's when Dooley took out a pistol,
shot David once in the chest.
As he lay dying,
David told his daughter to call an ambulance.
Paramedics arrived, but it was too late.
David died at the scene.
Dooley was charged with manslaughter
and pled not guilty, claiming self-defense.
But a jury found him guilty as charged
and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
Dooley appealed and two years later,
because of his age and poor health,
was released on $100,000 bond.
Then three years after that,
an appeals court overturned his conviction,
citing an error with jury instructions
regarding what constitutes a justifiable use of force.
The state was prepared to retry the case,
but ultimately offered Dooley a deal.
Plead guilty to manslaughter with a weapon
and be sentenced to probation.
♪ ♪
Now in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic,
Dooley appears before Judge Michael Williams
to enter his new plea and hear his sentence.
But first, David's daughter, Danielle,
who saw her father killed and who's now 19 years old,
delivers a victim impact statement to the court.
- My name is Danielle.
When I was in third grade, I lost my dad to a gunshot wound,
but not from a terrorist or enemies far away.
One of our neighbors had gotten mad
and started yelling at the boy on the skateboard,
and my dad stepped up to the man who was being a bully.
But I did hear my dad say, "Call an ambulance.
I've been shot."
- Next to speak is David's widow, Kanina Eurez.
- We have awaited justice for 11 years.
That's 11 years of being called back
for the sake of hearing pleas from a reckless egomaniac.
♪ ♪
And I will not give any more time or attention
to the man whose name I refuse to say.
♪ ♪
- When she's finished, the final word
belongs to Judge Williams.
- To the James family, the court system let you down.
And on its behalf, I apologize.
♪ ♪
I still can't get over how
somebody skateboarding on a basketball court
caused you to ruin a family for nothing.
♪ ♪
You know, you didn't have to come back to that court,
shoot somebody in front of their eight-year-old daughter.
Who does that?
♪ ♪
And in the process, you took away a husband,
father, brother, and son, in one incident.
- I think the victim's family agreeing to this plea
is braver than anything you've ever done in your life.
I'll leave it at that.
The court's adjourned.
♪ ♪
- The judge sentenced Dooley to three years' probation.
He's also prohibited from ever owning a firearm.
That's it for this edition of "CourtCam."
I'm Dan Abrams. Thanks for watching.