By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard
A 45-person docket was heard Tuesday by Judge Larry Ross in General Sessions Court which included another sentence handed out for a parent who failed to send her child to school.
The sentence came in the case of Patricia Dishman who was charged with failure to keep her child in school. In her case, the child was her 5-year-old son who had 29 unexcused absences over the past school year. Judge Ross directed the woman to perform one hour of public service work for each unexcused absence, meaning 29 public service hours. She will also be required to attend parenting classes.
The sentence is the most recent in an array of punishments handed out by the local court to parents who fail to keep their children in school. The punishments have ranged from fining a parent and making them go to school with the child to sending the parent to jail in some extreme cases. A child is considered truant after missing five days of school without a valid excuse. Parents can be cited or arrested when their children are truant.
Included in other court action:
Juan Perez was bound over to the grand jury on the charge of possession of drugs.
William Charles Dillard was directed to serve 48 hours of an 11-29 sentence, perform 40 hours public service work and pay $125 plus costs and make $600 restitution for theft and driving on a revoked license, third-offense.
Crystal Gillette was handed a six-month probationary sentence and must perform 16 hours public service work for theft and failure to appear in court.
Anna Higgins was bound over to the grand jury on the charge of fraudulent use of a credit card.
Edward Taylor was issued an 11-29 probationary sentence and must make restitution for theft and passing a worthless check for $120.
James Tittsworth was issued an 11-29 probationary sentence and must make $614 restitution for hindering secured creditors.
Trevon Rein was bound to the grand jury on the charge of vandalism.
Jason Hillis was granted a six-month judicial diversion and must attend conflict management classes and pay $100 plus costs for simple assault.
Kenneth Pack Jr. was bound over to the grand jury on the charge of domestic assault.
Chassidy Baker and Julie D. Baker were handed six-month probationary sentences and must pay $50 plus costs and perform 16 hours public service work for domestic assault.
Johnathan Humphrey must serve 48 hours of an 11-29 sentence and pay $150 plus costs for domestic assault and consumption under 21. He also had his probation violated.
Sergio Karim was handed an 11-29 probationary sentence and must pay $100 plus costs and perform 16 hours public service work for domestic assault.
Charles Milligan must serve five days, pay $50 plus costs and have his probation extended by six months for public intoxication and violation of probation.
Thad McKee must serve the balance of his sentence for violation of probation.
Tara Lewis must serve 45 days and have her probation extended by six months for violation of probation.
