2010.08.20 RONALD L. CUMMINGS pre trial HEARING in Putnam County @ 11:00 AM

[tehcloser]

Thanks I didn't know the process.

I'm not sure if it applies here, lol. I should have used a question mark. :crazy:

 

[pittsburghgirl]

No one in this drug case is getting a sweet deal. Art Harris says most of the drug cases at this level in part of Florida get 3-5 years. Although the laws have strict mandatory minimums, what happens in practice is that charges run concurrently, the top end charges get dropped, and what could have been 100 years ends up as 3-5. The same thing happens in other cases where felonies are pled down to misdemeanors. If everyone who sold prescription pills did 100 years in prison--well, we would have nothing but prisons.

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?
http://www.artharris.com/page/2/

Everyone here seems shocked at what is really just the norm today. The vast majority of cases are resolved through plea bargains because trials are so expensive and risky for the prosecution, and defendants prefer to plead guilty knowing the range of the sentence up front.

We also have no idea what Ron might have told LE from the very beginning of Haleigh's case. We have no idea. The plea deal just formalizes his willingness to testify about those things he's already told them.

And frankly, if he was at work when Haleigh was murdered, there isn't that much he can tell about the crime itself. Until Misty and Tommy started looking at hard time for the drug case, they weren't admitting to anyone that they were involved in Haleigh's death. Think about this: Crystal still says that she still hopes Haleigh is alive. So is it all that far-fetched that Ron could "believe" or hope that someone else out there might have kidnapped his daughter, rather than believe that his girlfriend/wife and her family murdered her? The downside of demonizing Ron is that people forget that he was Haleigh's dad and by all accounts loved her. That is not incompatible with denial and wishful thinking, particularly with drug abusers.

 

[KSH352]

I pray he wasn't looking at Crystal with this smirk of his!! He looks like he's showing the world he got off relatively easy. JMO

no he was looking at his family..TN and ect

 

[mck16]

I'm not sure if it applies here, lol. I should have used a question mark. :crazy:

It took me a minute but I got what you are talking about. I am trying to remember what I have seen on t.v. Not sure if you haven't been tried you can still bond out. But, since he isn't going to have a trial etc., etc., etc. So complicated.

 

[TrialAddict]

Most parents who love their children, would never allow a teenage druggie to care for them while they went to work. I blame, Ron for allowing this to happen. He made the choice to bring these low lives into his children's life. I Wish he could be charged with child endangerment that contributed to the death of his child, for making that choice and get life for that alone and whoever killed, Haleigh ( if she is in fact dead) get the DP.

 

[ldh]

I can think of a few ways to make all of them talk & have it be the truth. It involves certain body parts & some not so nice things u might find in a tool box. Trust me, I would have NO problems holding some pliers, screw drivers or nut crackers if it were legal to torture this bunch of low lifes.

We need to call Jack Bauer. You know, the hero of "24".

 

[grammieto5]

reporter saying its a timeline type of things, and he may have learned more info behind bars.

Sentencing in September. He is now obligated to tell the truth about what he knows if charges are ever filed against someone for Haleighl

NOW he is obligated to tell the truth, now to make things easier for himself he will tell the truth, what a loser he is, well I don't care if RC is a suspect, or person of interest, HE is responsible for what happened to Hailey!!!

 

[Paintr]

No one in this drug case is getting a sweet deal. Art Harris says most of the drug cases at this level in part of Florida get 3-5 years. Although the laws have strict mandatory minimums, what happens in practice is that charges run concurrently, the top end charges get dropped, and what could have been 100 years ends up as 3-5. The same thing happens in other cases where felonies are pled down to misdemeanors. If everyone who sold prescription pills did 100 years in prison--well, we would have nothing but prisons.



Everyone here seems shocked at what is really just the norm today. The vast majority of cases are resolved through plea bargains because trials are so expensive and risky for the prosecution, and defendants prefer to plead guilty knowing the range of the sentence up front.

We also have no idea what Ron might have told LE from the very beginning of Haleigh's case. We have no idea. The plea deal just formalizes his willingness to testify about those things he's already told them.

And frankly, if he was at work when Haleigh was murdered, there isn't that much he can tell about the crime itself. Until Misty and Tommy started looking at hard time for the drug case, they weren't admitting to anyone that they were involved in Haleigh's death. Think about this: Crystal still says that she still hopes Haleigh is alive. So is it all that far-fetched that Ron could "believe" or hope that someone else out there might have kidnapped his daughter, rather than believe that his girlfriend/wife and her family murdered her? The downside of demonizing Ron is that people forget that he was Haleigh's dad and by all accounts loved her. That is not incompatible with denial and wishful thinking, particularly with drug abusers.

Post of the day! :clap::clap:

 

[grammieto5]

I don't even take BP meds but sure do need some this morning. Any got some spares? 5 or so? lol

Poor HaLeigh. I'm soo utterly furious right now.

Oh I know how you feel, I don't take BP meds either, I'm so angry right now, I'm hot inside, this loser sperm doner is going to NOW tell the truth, and so what happens if there is never a trial for Hailey?

 

[Amster]

Who exactly agreed to this deal? Do we have a name? Was it the DA or states attorney?

 

[LeLe1953]

I just think that todays events have been an orchestrated effort to achieve todays' result.

What I am saying is that any hope of charges for Haleigh's demise were quashed today. I so hope I am wrong. I do not see ANYONE in this mess telling where Haleigh is and I think without her remains there is no case.

ITA. Poor Haleigh will probably never have a proper burial or someone held accountable. ALL of them should go down.
Another thought is I bet Cindy & George wish KC had been offered such a sweet deal, almost a get out of jail free card.

 

[Paintr]

I have a difficult time wrapping my head around anyone deliberately murdering Haleigh. I think the stories of sexual assault, gun substitution, rampaging madman are just frantic attempts to avoid the truth. I think Haleigh died by accident and the desperate cover up began.

If we cannot agree on what happened to Haleigh and who is to be believed, how can those so emotionally involved make that decision?:waitasec:

 

[Buterflytat]

Having lived in Putnam County, Florida until a month and a half ago; I am so OUTRAGED at how Ron is treated with kid gloves! How he is not considered a suspect is beyond me! It sounds like there may need to be some cleaning house to be done in LE or the Courts. I've seen the local Le do some great work; but this cannot touch the cummings is way too much! What do they have on LE?/?
I have to say his Lawyer was smart to have him plea guilty; because he saw what happened to cousin Hope and Tommy when they pleaded no contest. Will Haleigh ever have Justice? I'm begining to wonder.
For the love of GOD, I am hoping that they are playing their cards close to their chests and are hoping to get the truth from the croslins and the cummings/neves/sykes families!

 

[LeLe1953]

I think these people live in a sort of closed society. To their way of thinking 'it's us against the world.' LE, in fact any official, is considered the enemy. They are taught this from birth...we take care of our own, we don't rat anyone out, we dispense justice to our own. They have had no money, no education, no parental guidence, and no positive role models. They are living what they have learned. It is all they know. So, I could see them not talking to LE. Justice has a totally different meaning in their world.

It is easy for me to judge, coming from a safe, loved, cared for childhood but I can see that they are floundering around fighting for their lives (as they see it) I can easily feel sorry for them.

Do I want whoever is involved in Haleigh's disappearance punished? He77 yes! I am hoping for an arrest any day. I want Haleigh found and the perp/s caught. But I still think everybody loses here. sigh!

I sure don't disagree with you BUT I just gotta ask, how does a bunch of druggies with no money, no edcuation, no guidence outsmart LE?????
IMO they are all ( any probably more) just a bunch of hopped up pedophiles.

 

[Paintr]

Having lived in Putnam County, Florida until a month and a half ago; I am so OUTRAGED at how Ron is treated with kid gloves! How he is not considered a suspect is beyond me! It sounds like there may need to be some cleaning house to be done in LE or the Courts. I've seen the local Le do some great work; but this cannot touch the cummings is way too much! What do they have on LE?/?
I have to say his Lawyer was smart to have him plea guilty; because he saw what happened to cousin Hope and Tommy when they pleaded no contest. Will Haleigh ever have Justice? I'm begining to wonder.
For the love of GOD, I am hoping that they are playing their cards close to their chests and are hoping to get the truth from the croslins and the cummings/neves/sykes families!

Having lived there, do you think LE and the courts are corrupt? That would certainly put an interesting spin on things.

 

[Gracenote]

And, while her father is basking in the sunlight of deal making, Haleigh's body is somewhere in the darkness.....

I pray her little ghost haunts all of these horrible people, forever. Including any in LE that have covered up for Ronald Cummings all of these years. And including her paternal grandmother and paternal great grandmother who swept her aside.

Soar with the angels, sweet Haleigh.....

Woo, Amster, you should write for Hallmark.

Can anyone tell me why sentencing takes so long? It seems like it would be either done at the same hearing since a plea was agreed to, or at least in a few hours. Is the Judge thinking during this gap, or is it a judicial procedure that the things are done separately?

 

[MADJGNLAW]

OK, I gave my self a T/O to sit back and try to look for something positive from today's hearing.
Here is what I have came up with..the judge was not to kind to Misty nor Tommy because they didn't give anything of value to LE IMO, even though the judge said that had nothing to do with his sentence.

Here we have the father of the missing child that is using her as a pawn to get a lighter sentence in his drug charges.

He was dealing drugs while his daughter is missing/dead somewhere?
He was dealing drugs while his daughter is missing/dead somewhere and had his son in the car at one point during one of the transactions from the way Misty made it sound. They had to pick up Jr. from daycare before they could make their next sale.
He was using drugs while his daughter is missing/dead somewhere.
He was avoiding LE when they were trying to get info regarding his daughters disappearance investigation.
He married the last person to "so called be with his Daughter", which at this point I question if it was really Misty to last see Haleigh.
He interfered with a missing child "His child, Investigation".
He held back the info regarding his "Daughter that LE said is Dead" as a pawn for a lighter sentence for over 18 months.

Lets see :waitasec: would the judge even consider anything less than the max of 90yrs? I don't see why the judge would give him less than 90yrs when the Father of the missing/dead child held information from LE. The Father that should of been the one to tell the truth from the get go and help LE instead of avoiding them and lying...

So, maybe Ron will not ever see the light of day just with his drug charges alone. I sure pray this is the conclusion to this drug case because IMO LE will never really know what happen. :cow:

 

[Paintr]

I sure don't disagree with you BUT I just gotta ask, how does a bunch of druggies with no money, no edcuation, no guidence outsmart LE????? IMO they are all ( any probably more) just a bunch of hopped up pedophiles.

Hi LeLe (waving) I don't think they have outsmarted LE. I think that some cases take time. With all the wild stories they have had to wade through, I think LE is making sure to get it right.

 

[LeLe1953]

I have a difficult time wrapping my head around anyone deliberately murdering Haleigh. I think the stories of sexual assault, gun substitution, rampaging madman are just frantic attempts to avoid the truth. I think Haleigh died by accident and the desperate cover up began.

If we cannot agree on what happened to Haleigh and who is to be believed, how can those so emotionally involved make that decision?:waitasec:

I think many did suggest it could be an accident ( long ago) I know I speculated that she got ahold of Rons drugs or a needle since Misty told her dad Ron used the needle. At this point though, I don't care if it was an accident or not. Anyone that could lie and or get rid of a body to protect this person deserves nothing kinder than hell.

 

[Amster]

I think there is a pre-sentencing report done and given to the judge. Helps the judge decide what to do. Not sure who does the report, though. I fully expect the report on Ronald to be filled with rainbows and butterflies and hearts and he will not serve a single day in prison.