In a singularly tepid fall session, Dade Superior Court ended its twice-a-year jury term with only two trials completed.
In the first trial week, beginning Oct. 15, Robert M. Brown went on trial for drug and traffic charges. He was cleared of everything but one charge of possessing drug-related objects and one for vehicular visibility violations. He was sentenced to a total of $300 in fines, 12 months' probation for the paraphernalia and one for the window tint, to be served concurrently.
In week 2, beginning Oct. 22, Brady Tinker was found guilty of 10 counts related to driving under the influence, including a seat belt violation charge, but cleared of one of terroristic threats. He received 10 days in confinement and seven years of probation, plus a total of $475 in combined fines.
All civil trials were canceled after the litigants settled out of court.
Superior Court Clerk Kathy Page confirmed that this was an unusual term. She said that of the criminal cases slated to be heard this month, many had negotiated guilty pleas and an unusual number had not bothered to show up at all. (In such cases bench warrants are issued, police round the accused up, and a nonappearance charge is added to the list of offenses the person is charged with.)
She said it seemed a shame after all the work her office did preparing for court terms to tell the jury pools to go home, they weren't needed after all.
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