M. Strozier Motion Denied

Jasper Superior Court Judge Hugh Wingfield conducted a special hearing for two cases last Thursday.

The first case involved Melissa Strozier’s submission of a motion to withdraw her negotiated guilty plea to theft by taking from the Jasper Care Corps for which she was sentenced 90 days in a state detention center, restitution of $15,055, and probation on August 16.

Under new legal counsel of Tim Lam, he clarified that the court motion was actually to modify the plea not withdraw it.

Mrs. Strozier said that she had no issue with facing the consequences of her actions but that she didn’t feel like 90 days in confinement was just. She requested perhaps community service instead of time in the detention center.

Mrs. Strozier said she was scheduled to begin physical early childcare education classes this month as she was already taking online courses. She said that having to serve time in the detention center would dim her legal record and prevent her from establishing a child care business.

Speaking on behalf of the defendant was Jimmy Horton, pastor of Springfield Baptist Church where Mrs. Strozier attends and serves as Youth Director. He told the judge that he had known the defendant for more than 30 years and knew her to be an upstanding person.

“What she did, she did to help others not herself,” said Rev. Horton. “Confining her would not help the situation…I’m sure what happended was a misunderstanding.

Rev. Horton also said as a member of the currnet Care Corps board, that the organization would not seek restitution.

In the end Judge Wingfield denied the motion to modify stating, “Here’s the problem, we didn’t have a trail but we had a lengthy process here. I will not modify the sentence—it stands as is. You received a lighter sentence than most people with these type charges.”

In the second hearing involving the guardianship of two juveniles, members of the Togba family tried to clarify legal guardian issues through litigation.

Emmanuel Togba, the biological father of the two youths was seeking to dissolve the legal guardianship granted to his parents (the youths’ grandparents), since 2010.

The children’s mother, not married to the father, had sought to dissolve the guardianship in 2011 without any success.

Judge Wingfield ruled that the guardianship case came down to an issue of legitimization for Mr. Togba, as the biological father of the youths he had not legitimized the children and therefore had no legal recourse at this time in the legal system.