Bradley doesn’t like court-appointed lawyer, gets five days

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Drug suspect Stanley Bradley is joined by attorney Billy Tollison during a contempt of court hearing Friday. (Duane Sherrill photo)

A disagreement over his court-appointed attorney will cost a local man five days in jail after he was found in contempt of court.

The defendant, Stanley Bradley, was given the sentence after he voiced his disapproval when the public defender’s office was appointed to represent him on his charges of manufacture of drugs during arraignment Friday.

Bradley muttered his disagreement, which reportedly included some off-color words, as he shook his head in the negative when the attorney assignment was made. Bradley maintained, in the past, the public defender did not come to see him at the jail and therefore he did not wish to be represented by the group.

Public Defender Dan Bryant, who was standing by Bradley at the time, said he was unsure what his client said, other than he was protesting the assignment. However, special judge J. Curtis Smith, sitting on the bench about 20 feet in front of the suspect, said he heard enough of the low-toned outburst to find Bradley in contempt of court. Judge Smith said the outburst was disruptive and showed a lack of respect for the court.

In addition to the five days he must serve on the contempt conviction, Bradley will also still be represented by the public defender’s office.