McWhorter to serve as own lawyer

From representing the accused to being one of the accused, a man facing a mountain of forgery charges revealed he was stopped just months short of becoming a lawyer, something he told the court Tuesday won?t stop him from representing himself ? and winning.

?To you I may just be another guy in black and white,? said James McWhorter, 27, when he appeared before General Sessions Judge Larry Ross on multiple forgery charges dressed in the black and white outfit of a jail inmate. ?I?ve had them dismissed elsewhere and they will be dismissed here as well.?

McWhorter is referring to charges of forgery and theft brought against him and his wife, Beatrice McWhorter, 25, after the pair allegedly manufactured computer-generated checks and then passed them at various locations around Warren and surrounding counties. There were several checks, many in excess of $700, which accounted for thousands of dollars.

While lawmen say they have evidence against McWhorter, the former law school student says the evidence will never see the light of day before a jury because it was obtained illegally. Specifically, McWhorter said he was illegally questioned when he was first arrested in another county.

McWhorter said it was the questioning which led to a search which, in turn, led to lawmen obtaining evidence with which to charge him. McWhorter said proving his statement was illegally obtained will make everything found afterwards by lawmen due to the statement inadmissible in court. McWhorter said he is confident the charges he faces both in General Sessions and Circuit Court, will be dropped when a evidence suppression hearing is held Feb. 20.

?The only evidence that ties me to anything is the search which is tied to the statement which will be thrown out,? McWhorter confidently told the judge in announcing his plans to represent himself.

?You know what they say about someone who represents himself,? Ross said, apparently referring to the adage which warns, ?A person who represents himself has a fool for a lawyer.?

McWhorter pointed out he was just six months short of graduating law school when he was forced to resign because of his arrest on criminal charges. Neither McWhorter or prosecutors have revealed what those charges were. However, the defendant pointed out he is being held at Brushy Mountain State Prison on parole violation charges brought on by his recent arrest.

McWhorter pointed out if he succeeds in having his cases thrown out here, he will be a free man since he will not then be in violation of his parole. McWhorter will be allowed to represent himself and to subpoena witnesses to testify in his behalf, some of those being lawmen who were involved in his arrest, and others, including lawyers who he says overheard statements which will help his case.