2010.08.16 Misty Croslin Scheduled For Hearing On Drug Charges

[dodie20]

Based on what you said, Fields is not as dumb as he first appeared. He is putting all his amunition (whatever it might be) against the St Johns charge. Misty's chances of the lowest possible prison sentence are optimized if Fields can manage to get the St John's charge reduced or dismissed AND he can go after Youthful Offender status on the Putnum charges.

Also, now we can see why Misty was charged with one offense in St John's and the rest in Putnam County. As long as LE was able to split the arrests in two places, then this maximized the prison time that Misty would get if found guilty or pled nolo because she couldn't get YO in both places. So, somebody was strategizing.

JMO, if I understand this correctly.

you're right, I do believe, but I don't care for this strategizing. feels too underhanded. now, if they'd done something like that to Ron, (because of his sliding on all his priors), I might not be so disgusted.

 

[dodie20]

Good lord.

Interesting plea. She knew as well as her attn. that they had enough hard evidence against her specifically --that to argue and go to court would probably not allow her to get as good of a deal for which she had hoped. I can well imagine it's not ill advised to not roll the dice with a trial if the sentence could be over 200 years. Lordy. JMHO.

IMHO this is her trial for her direct actions involving drugs. Let the chips fall where they may. For-each-and-every-single-one-of-these-offenders. JMHO.

I agree, but disagree. Ron's working on a deal, in regards to his direct actions, so why not everybody else? But, after watching the judge, throw the book at Hope, why are they following her lead? I'd be trying something, anything, different.

 

[Kat]

I agree, but disagree. Ron's working on a deal, in regards to his direct actions, so why not everybody else? But, after watching the judge, throw the book at Hope, why are they following her lead? I'd be trying something, anything, different.

I haven't really given RC a lot of thought lately dodie I'm sorry. If he's working on a deal, given what hard evidence they have on him, then that's his roll of the dice and although I'm hesitant to say this because he seems to have worked magic before about getting out of sentences he should have served---he won't this time IMHO. If he's willing to roll the dice on his sentencing it could possibly mean he's arrogant because he's gotten off so many times before.

If he does get a lesser sentence? Then the inner workings of the justice system in Putnam Co. need to be routed out and investigated. I think RC is going to serve at least 15 years too. JMHO.

Each and every single one of them must face their own charges, and enter their own pleas.

Misty is going to serve 21 as a poster outlined above I agree. But RC's butt was in that car too. IMHO he's not skating out on this one. But, like I said, he's done it so many times before. Who really knows? JMHO.

 

[lonetraveler]

I know! I mean granted we are only seeing bits of it but from here it looks like all the lawyers have basically said "Here take em'", I don't get it.

This just smacks of "ineffective counseling" and total worthlessness as an attorney. Misty appears to be gloriously ignorant and doesn't seem bothered at all by her attorney throwing her under the bus there. It looks like she has a strong case for an appeal due to his non-actions and comments to the judge.:waitasec:

 

[lonetraveler]

I haven't really given RC a lot of thought lately dodie I'm sorry. If he's working on a deal, given what hard evidence they have on him, then that's his roll of the dice and although I'm hesitant to say this because he seems to have worked magic before about getting out of sentences he should have served---he won't this time IMHO. If he's willing to roll the dice on his sentencing it could possibly mean he's arrogant because he's gotten off so many times before.

If he does get a lesser sentence? Then the inner workings of the justice system in Putnam Co. need to be routed out and investigated. I think RC is going to serve at least 15 years too. JMHO.

Each and every single one of them must face their own charges, and enter their own pleas.

Misty is going to serve 21 as a poster outlined above I agree. But RC's butt was in that car too. IMHO he's not skating out on this one. But, like I said, he's done it so many times before. Who really knows? JMHO.

Honestly, I do not have a bit of confidence that Ron will serve a sentence on the drug dealing other than time served. I hope and pray that I am wrong but this is just the way I feel.

 

[lonetraveler]

I agree, but disagree. Ron's working on a deal, in regards to his direct actions, so why not everybody else? But, after watching the judge, throw the book at Hope, why are they following her lead? I'd be trying something, anything, different.

LOL, I've always thought that Ron is the one who advised Hope to plead the way she did. Maybe Ron thought that since he had beat the system so many times that it would work for Hope. Guess not.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

I thought Hope rejected the youthful offender status and its requirements. She wouldn't get 15 years as a youthful offender.

From Art Harris's blog, and quoting the jailhouse tapes of Hope:

On the audio tape, obtained from PCSD by The Bald Truth, Sykes launches into what sounds a lot like a Misty Croslin jailhouse whine: entitled bad girl, teen brat tirade against any judge, even one who might go easy and sentence her as a first youthful offender to boot camp AND drug rehab.
“I’d rather go to f—ing prison! That’s f—ed up!” she tells her mother on the jail phone, calling collect after court Wednesday. “I’m not going to boot camp. I’ll tell you, they think I’m bad now, wait ‘til I get out of that!”

In the annals of petty drug dealers, the Satsuma gang that couldn’t deal straight may go down in pop prison cult history as perhaps the most foul-mouthed, cussingest (I know it’s not a word) alleged traffickers to ever turn into stars behind bars.

Only Hope is no longer “alleged;” she’s guilty, a convicted drug trafficker who admitted selling illegal prescription painkillers with Ronald, Misty, Tommy and Donna Brock. All face sentencing in the next three months. Sykes will be sentenced later this month, as her mother reminded.
http://www.artharris.com/2010/04/02/drug-trafficker-hope-sykes-jailhouse-calls/

Harris was stating at that time) that Hope has already pleaded "no contest" and is awaiting sentencing. His implication is that the judge had the discretion to sentence her as a "first youthful offender" and she would have gotten something like boot camp and rehab, which she rejected, unfortunately in a way that became public. There is also the sad part that Hope probably had no idea that she was essentially admitting guilt or that her attorney was speaking for her:

Belcher sounds like she doubts Hope understood what she was pleading to, that no contest is, in effect like pleading guilty, that you’re not contesting guilt, without having to admit it.

“I didn’t plead ‘No Contest,’” says Hope. “My lawyer plead no contest.”

“The judge asked, ‘Do you understand, when I get ready to sentence you, you could be looking at mandatory 30 years years?’” says her mother.

The judge cited Hope's earlier drug charge and recidivism:

Circuit Judge Terry LaRue said he ordered the minimum mandatory sentence because Sykes sold drugs within weeks of being released from jail on an earlier drug charge.

Sykes had been out of jail less than two weeks on a possession charge when she was arrested in the trafficking case, which LaRue said disqualified her for youthful offender consideration that would have meant a much shorter sentence.
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-04-27/story/cousin-haleigh-cummings-father-sentenced-15-years-drug-trafficking

<Sigh.> She had no idea...

 

[Chablis]

I thought Hope rejected the youthful offender status and its requirements. She wouldn't get 15 years as a youthful offender.

Hope also spent all last summer in jail, she has quite the record, so she was not eligible at all.

 

[lonetraveler]

The only valuable info the cops want to know from Ronald is where is daughter is, thats it. There is nothing Ron can offer the cops that will drop two 25 year charges, and then let him serve 3 15 year sentences concurrent, like he thinks he will get. There is no other info more precious than Haleigh. The cops dont need anything from Ronald but that, its not hard to catch drug dealers in Putnam County. If Tommy offered to be a nark and was declined because hes too well known, well, then so is Ronald!

Ronald was a low level dealer who didnt even have the money to for pills, he had to drive the UC to the dealers house, so him offering up his dealers meant nothing.

Hes in major trouble.

If you weren't talking about Ron Cummings I would agree with you that he is in major trouble....but, you are talking about Ron Cummings and he is as slippery as snail snot when it comes to the legal system.

 

[MADJGNLAW]

Misty Croslin Enters 'No Contest' Plea to Putnam Drug Charges

"Snip" http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=163192&catid=3

Updated: 8/16/2010 10:55:59 AM


PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- Misty Croslin could spend up to 240 years in prison, her attorney likely will seek a sentence closer to six years.

Misty Croslin, entered a "no contest" plea to the 7 drug-related charges.

The maximum she could face if all seven charges are given the maximum sentence and are assigned consecutively would be 240 years, according to the state attorney's office.

Misty's attorney, is trying to have Misty sentenced as a youthful offender, which means she could face up to six years.

Misty will learn her sentence in October.

Robert Fields, told the judge this morning that a "landslide of evidence" against Croslin, including video of her with the drugs and several undercover officers as witnesses in the case, led to the no contest plea.

Fields also said he will need about three hours to present his case at the sentencing hearing, where he will introduce more evidence and witnesses.

Croslin was shown with a shorter haircut, she told the judge she understands the charges against her.

Misty is due in St. Johns County court Tuesday to face a similar charge, and there's a potential rub.

Under Florida law, youthful offender status can only be granted one time, so if Croslin is sentenced in Putnam County as a youthful offender, she cannot be given the same treatment in St. Johns County.

 

[Chablis]

If you weren't talking about Ron Cummings I would agree with you that he is in major trouble....but, you are talking about Ron Cummings and he is as slippery as snail snot when it comes to the legal system.

Not anymore. He never had the eyes of the media watching, hes also on 900k bail, it really indicates the cops want him BAD. He has a missing daughter, he really messed up this time. Hes not getting out of this, I have very high hopes. I do think hes bartering using his knowledge of what happened to her, I really now think that. I just dont think the State is accepting his terms.

 

[lonetraveler]

Deal or no deal, LaRue seems to come down really hard on drug offenders. I'm anxious to see what type of sentencing is handed down to Ron with his past history. None of the others seem to have an extensive criminal history. Yes, Tommy had some charges, but they looked pretty petty to me.

Just a question here. Will the judge look at Ron's arrest history along with the convictions? I ask this because Ron got out of a lot of his arrest charges. I really hope that the judge will review ALL of Ron's criminal history.:croc:

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Hope also spent all last summer in jail, she has quite the record, so she was not eligible at all.

Speaking of Hope,

[Judge] LaRue said the youthful offender statute is for young people who are pressured or led astray by peers.

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-04-27/story/cousin-haleigh-cummings-father-sentenced-15-years-drug-trafficking

I wouldn't think Misty would qualify either, given her front-seat position on the video and her status in Haleigh's case.

 

[lonetraveler]

OMG, OT but just heard on HLN that two toddlers were found submerged in a car in a lake (think Susan Smith here) and the mother claims it was an accident. This happened in South Carolina. Trying to find something on this.
Just found this. Don't know how to start a thread. Sorry.
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/16/2153410/bodies-of-2-children-found-in.html

 

[Searchfortruth]

If you weren't talking about Ron Cummings I would agree with you that he is in major trouble....but, you are talking about Ron Cummings and he is as slippery as snail snot when it comes to the legal system.

I hope Ronald's ability to slip out of punishment, in previous charges, make his sentence in this case more severe. His sentencing will soon show how the state and the judge really feel about Ron. I'm afraid that I am headed for a huge disappointment if he gets less than the 25.

 

[twall]

Just a question here. Will the judge look at Ron's arrest history along with the convictions? I ask this because Ron got out of a lot of his arrest charges. I really hope that the judge will review ALL of Ron's criminal history.:croc:

I don't think arrests/charges can be used on the score sheet to determine the sentence, they have to be convictions.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

It's worth remembering that, according to Art Harris, the 15-year sentences we've seen for Hope and Tommy are already much longer than average for "low profile drug trafficking." Rest assured that Ron will get something similar because what makes these cases not fit the "low profile" is the connection of all the defendents to Haleigh Cummings.

From Art Harris's blog, re: Tommy's sentence:

With most low profile drug trafficking cases in the Putnam County and surrounding areas scoring beween 3-5 years for the felon, how could Tommy Croslin draw 3 to five times the amount of hard time?
For one, he’s an addict who happened to be involved with the wrong people at the wrong time — and one of the last people to admit seeing missing five year old Haleigh Cummings alive.
http://www.artharris.com

That RC has some magic to keep him out of legal trouble has been belied by the fact that he is in jail trying to plead down a sentence that could be as long as his life has been thus far.

 

[lonetraveler]

I don't think arrests/charges can be used on the score sheet to determine the sentence, they have to be convictions.

That's what I thought. Unfortunately the many pages containing Ron's arrests and charges that most of us have seen many, many times will be severely abbreviated when the judge considers sentencing.:banghead:

 

[dodie20]

I haven't really given RC a lot of thought lately dodie I'm sorry. If he's working on a deal, given what hard evidence they have on him, then that's his roll of the dice and although I'm hesitant to say this because he seems to have worked magic before about getting out of sentences he should have served---he won't this time IMHO. If he's willing to roll the dice on his sentencing it could possibly mean he's arrogant because he's gotten off so many times before.

If he does get a lesser sentence? Then the inner workings of the justice system in Putnam Co. need to be routed out and investigated. I think RC is going to serve at least 15 years too. JMHO.

Each and every single one of them must face their own charges, and enter their own pleas.

Misty is going to serve 21 as a poster outlined above I agree. But RC's butt was in that car too. IMHO he's not skating out on this one. But, like I said, he's done it so many times before. Who really knows? JMHO.

The last I heard, Ron was getting certain charges dropped, (the most incriminating, I assume), so him being in the car or whatever, might not be taken into consideration. It'll be like it never happened.

 

[Searchfortruth]

I don't think arrests/charges can be used on the score sheet to determine the sentence, they have to be convictions.

Did Hope have previous convictions that weighed into her sentence or were they just charges ? Sorry, I can't remember.