Dothan Municipal Court Brings A Ton Of People

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 6284

Posted by: RStokes
rstokes195@aol.com
334-790-1729
Date: Jan 30 2012 8:00 PM

DOTHAN:  This morning Dothan Municipal Court has a long line of people standing outside the front door into the parking lot.

Court was to begin at 9:00 AM, the pictures you see of the line were taken about 9:20 AM. The docket of the cases before Judge Gordon was 58 pages, with about 9 defendants to each page. Today was plea day or set the case for trial. The first appearance for many on the docket.

The offenses are all misdemeanor cases. The maximum penalty for each case is one year or less in the Dothan City Jail.

The cases range from no proof of insurance, driving while license suspended, DUI, noise ordiance violations, speeding, pblic intoxication, child restraint violation, possession of drug parapheneilia, possession of marijuana, theft of property, driving while license revoked, carrying a pistol without a permit, running a red light and many more.

Today’s court docket was 58 pages long, containing about 576 cases. Each case had to be handled, even if a person had multiple charges. ALl cases by one judge, Rose Evans Gordon.

DOTHAN MAGISTRATE OFFICE

There have been issues and problems in the Dothan Magistrate Office for years. One reason with this article is to show the volume of work that one day’s docket is for the Municipal Court. The magistrates have to process the paperwork for all of the 576 cases on this docket. Even more, the Judge, the only Judge, has to sit and deal with each and every case. All 576 cases.

The Dothan Magistrate Office is under the management of Judge Rose Evans Gordon. There is no way Judge Gordon can sit in court, handle 576 cases, and manage the Magistrate Office some two blocks away from the courtroom.

The 576 cases that did not plead guilty, the Judge will set a court date and a trial will be held. The Judge must then sit and listen to each case and make a determination of guilt or innocence.

The office functions, but it is time that Dothan look at the Dothan Magistrate Office becoming a department, one independant of the Judge and City Attorney’s Office. It is a seperate and distinct function.

Judge Rose Evans Gordon

There is no intent in this article to be critical of Judge Gordon or the Dothan Magistrate Office. It is only to show a day in the court, the volume of cases that have to be dealt with, and the number of people waiting to enter the court.

<- back