The Mountain-Ear
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| Nederland Court doles out fines, advice |
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| Written by administrator | |
| Friday, 13 November 2009 | |
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Nederland Because of Veteran’s Day this week, the Nederland Municipal Court was held a week early, on Nov. 4. As usual Judge Lisa Hamilton-Fieldman presided over the proceedings, Donna Schneider was the Nederland prosecutor and Lois Ott was the court recorder. Municipal Court usually convenes on the second Wednesday of every month, but was changed last week because of Veteran’s Day. The first item on the docket was scheduled into jury trial. A woman pleaded not guilty to harassment charges and the trial date was set for Jan. 22. In another harassment case, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the prosecutor’s plea agreement. The man had been arrested after he became agitated in a discussion about the military and threatened two women who were sitting near him. As part of the bargain, the defendant agreed to not have any contact with the women saying he wouldn’t know them if he saw them. He is not allowed to return to the restaurant where the incident happened. After the judge asked him if he would like to say anything, the man said it was all a misunderstanding and he apologized. He said he only had two beers and he was not intoxicated, but emotional. Judge Hamilton-Fieldman told him that whatever triggered his outburst of anger might happen again and perhaps he needed some counseling. He agreed he needed to keep still about opinions near and dear to him. The man was sentenced to a $1,000 fine, with $900 suspended and a $30 court fee and given until Jan. 13 to pay. Two young men charged with theft stood before the judge and pleaded guilty to the charge. They had been made to pay $150 each for civil restitution and agreed that the theft had not been worth it. There were each fined $100 with $75 suspended on the condition that they collaboratively write a 500-word essay, explaining why the judge was more lenient with them because the store enforced the civil fine. Each of the defendants had to pay $25 plus a $30 court fee. “That was some expensive cold medicine,” she told the boys and had them each pick out a bracelet to carry with them as a reminder of the incident. She also told them that although they may not want to speak to her again, she would gladly talk to them if they felt tempted to steal again. The next defendant pleaded guilty to charges of no vehicle registration. He asked for leniency on the fine, saying he didn’t even have a dime to his name. The judge fined him $30 plus $30 court cost, due by Nov. 18. A woman charged with unsafe backing agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of obstruction of her windshield. When asked to explain what happened, she said, “I sort of hit someone, actually she sort of hit me when I was backing out.” A fine of $40 and a $30 court cost fee was imposed on the defendant. A man charged with speeding, going 36 in a 25 mph speed zone, agreed to a plea bargain of pleading guilty to driving a defective vehicle. He told the judge he had had another speeding ticket three years ago in Tennessee. When asked if he had a lead foot, he replied, "no, ma’am." He was fined $50 plus court cost of $30. The next defendant was charged with speeding 58 mph in a 25 mph zone, 33 mph over the speed limit. Prosecutor Schneider told the judge that the woman had a good driving record and was mortified that she had been going so fast. They reached an agreement of pleading guilty to going 35 in a 25 mph zone. “I’m very sorry,” she told the judge. “I was running late to pick up my daughter in Denver and I had no idea what the speed limit was because I have had little experience in Nederland.” Judge Hamilton-Fieldman told the woman that in small towns people often walked; that she was near a post office and there was a clear danger to pedestrians. She imposed a $200 fine plus $30 court cost as well as four points. A man charged with careless driving on Colo. 199 told the judge he had been given a gift of a motorcycle and was out enjoying it when he hit sand in the road. “I went one way and the bike went another,” said the student from London. “I hadn’t ridden in the mountains before and I wasn’t cautious enough. The bike slid out from under me.” He pleaded guilty to driving a defective vehicle and paid a fine of $75 plus court costs. A defendant who pleaded guilty to stealing a toothbrush and dental floss said he has been trying to make a living and hadn’t fulfilled his promise to follow up with the store he stole from. The judge fined him $200, suspended $125, and charged him for court costs. A no show defendant had been charged with trespassing and pleaded guilty. He was fined $130 which he said he would pay in community service, but he didn't show up. The judge sentenced him to a fine of $130 and three days in jail A man who asked for a trial regarding his speeding ticket was let off the hook when the arresting officer could not identify him in court. The judge said she had to dismiss the charges. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 19 November 2009 ) |
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