jb says -
I think it's "Castellanos" not "Castellano"

Mary Ward Cater says -
After recently reading this news story and making the many Prison Ministries visit as I usually do to the several Prisons I felt a need to give my comment. As I read the article and listen to the Press release my heart I felt those of us who have been on the battle field of civil rights it would be an injustice to us if we didn’t say something. An injustice to us even more so than to Benny Herman Allen III because we take our work to heart. Not just because we are civil rights leaders but because we are mothers, “I’m a mommy and a grandma” I take it serious with the black males and women as well as the “poor.” Who the bible said will always be with us. I know three Bailiffs who are heavy civil rights leaders right now in Cobb County Courts and most of the civil rights workers that in the courtrooms have been board members of the same NAACP in Cobb County. It doesn’t matter the case our heart is going to go out to any injustice. My heart especially goes out because I have 3 generations of family under the name of Allen’s name Allen I and I am a mother of a Allen II and a grandmother of an Allen III and under the blood of Christ we cover them by our works. I’m a black mother who blesses the seed of my children and grandchildren and curse that mindset that we shall have a generational curse. I speak as a minister because God is first. Who knows better having boys and going into the Prisons what our black males sometimes are up against on top of being civil right workers who’s in the prisons doing ministry. I know nothing about that case but I have worked many and have seen more invested after sentences come down than investing in our youth before prevention. No one likes the sentence but in cases that are criminal cases we as a civil rights group have work to do in educating our people. We are not there until the verdict comes down and it’s not what we like. We are not there if it’s not our blood, family, friends or church people and that is no where in the order of God. He said go into the highways and byways and compels men and women. We must Make the Right Choices. He said other sheep He has which is not of our fold, our races, color, creed, denomination we have to reach them and work with them. We must educate our people on the process of making the wrong decision. I must say as an experienced bailiff and one who have been on the battlefield in the civil rights field, that you have to hear the entire case. It’s time we get involved with the total process of the Judicial system which includes the attorney process, the grand jury, the indicting process, from the day the police is called to our doors down to the writing of the charges. One of the worst problems in any court in the U. S. in my opinion is many make plea's ignorant. Some say “I just want to get it over fast” “I don’t want to shame my family” “I want a speedy trail” some plea not even thinking there is a verdict at the end of a plea bargaining, that can possibly returned a sentence of a life sentence to serve 14 years and the other on probation, IF the board of pardon and parole approves when that 14 years passes. They never think down the road, many think because they plea, they are going to walk out of the back doors. Many times they don’t think I will have a felony, that mean no job, its going on my record. When reality set’s in is when they walk into the prisons and find it real that is when the NAACP is contacted. A lots of people are doing the crime, we have to say “MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE.” God placed me in a service at a Prison this weekend in South, Ga. I wasn’t on the Courts side nor the NAACP side, I was in the prison and the services I did there was no help conducting the service. Even before knowing about the press conference that took place and even the case before Judge Staley I know God placed me at that Prison in South Georgia and on that day. He fixed it knowing I didn’t have a way to go but it was ordained by Him that I was to be there, so he made a way for me to travel and preach. As I divided the groups who would minister I found that I was short handed with workers to do God’s work so I had to bring two messages back to back to not deprive the inmates. Never has it been done the Head of the Prison said the request I made to allow me to do a service in the boot Camp for 1 hour and one service in the 9 months camp my last hour. As I went in the boot camp I knew why God appointed me to do the service. Six men were there that had been sentenced out of Cobb County. As the service we forward each they thanks God for another chance, a second chance to get it right before man and God. As a matter of fact my topic came from the inmates testimony, they began to tell me who sentenced them Judge Robert Flournoy, Judge Frank Cox’s, Judge Mary Staley, and Judge Adele Grubbs. I always give them a chance to thank God first before I speak. They said, not knowing where I worked, not even know my name except Evangelist. One said I was looking at 40 years, he was black, he said I don’t know how God touched that ladies heart to help me and I did every bit of the crime but it was my first time. He said Judge Mary Staley sentenced me and God in heaven know I am pleased, now it was odd he was sentenced on the same day as the Barbie Bandit case. So I know she didn’t have a racist day that day. That is why I said it makes no sense to me. He said God gave me a second chance to get it right and do it now. Another (black) Judge Flournoy sentenced him, he knew the word of God but was a little different, artistic. He said that judge they sent me to evaluations and did lots of stuff to make sure I was coherent, and read for trial. It was ten of the men 1st time and one man 11th time being incarcerated. He said I got to get it right for what God did for me in that court of law. Another (Hispanic), he said don't leave me out I need to testify, God has been good to me. Judge Frank Cox'’ was my Judge, he did the closing prayer he was about to get out and had graduated and happy. He said I messed up with my family, Educated, had a great job from what he described. He said he felt great because he don’t know when was the last time he could think straight and when he got out he was going back to work. In another service Judge Grubbs, this was a murder case all I can say a twenty-five year old man was 18 years old and his desire was somehow to get the message back to the Judge he wasn’t mad at her, he just came up in a dysfunctional family. He was in the wrong place with the wrong group. He can’t talk to the victim’s family but he wants to say I’m sorry. When they get to that stage it’s called the acceptance stage, you can’t turn the clock back but you and God are in communication. You can’t bring the dead back, but you can bring change to the heart. It was odd this would come to me at this time but God wants us to be real. We have work to do and it’s now. Lastly, there was one who killed the brother of a policeman. For thirty years the wife wanted to know what happen. In the cases you never hear all of the truth not from a defendant, the attorneys, the persecution but in time man and woman can change to desiring to be honest. The person spent 5 years in lock down being released only 1 hour per day in Reidsville. He said he never told the truth for anything, ever and the wife asks to see him and she was permitted. She asks “all I want is for my son to know the truth because I was pregnant when he was killed. This was the first day the defendant was faced with telling the truth per him. After he talked to her the victim’s family came to step up and help this man get out of prison after 30 years. He said, I am not mad at any Judge I did some bad things. Recently we Baptized 11 at another Prison as I did the message afterward lead again to let them testify why did you be baptized? Two had been in prison over 10 years and no one every knew there real names but instead there gang name, there names were changed and they introduced themselves as newborn again and told there birth names in open population with over 250 men and correctional staff. We must teach “Make the Right Choice.” We must keep our eyes open for the old mentalities of Judges, Attorneys, DA’s Judicial system who don’t abide by the constitution of the U.S. in it’s full but I don’t agree when we say Cobb County has a pattern. In many courts in the U.S. we know some Judges who didn’t do the right things but I see a little better system now than then and we have an attorney General who don’t play that stuff happening because he knows he will have to review the case if brought back before the courts. I myself have a high respect for Judge Mary Staley and I just don’t see a Pattern of racism with her and some other who has that passion to reach the youth. We work with this Judge and the same leaders didn't have the dignity or respect to asks her why did she make such a ruling before there press conference. We are not here to show our Alms before we get our facts. That word “Pattern” is mighty ugly. "This case reflects the unfair sentencing pattern in the Cobb County Judicial System as well as throughout Georgia,” I would like to see the sentencing pattern in Cobb County Judicial System, which reflects two different systems, one for whites and one for black. I don't see that side not with as much change as has taken place. I’m not talking about the young man’s case but cases in general because the statement reflects in general. I want to see the cases in the past 10 years. I just don’t believe it because many of us sitting their working in the courts that are black are civil rights leaders. It’s just time to be real we have more work to do. We need our civil rights organizations to be there but to be there all the way around. We can’t be double minded and on every side as we work to address issues for the lives of men and women who depend on us. I presently go into Macon State Prison, not on occasions but monthly with over 1508 men and son youth 17 years old and above; from time to time Central State with the Lifers program with about 830 plus men and I’m in communication with many of the other 49 prisons all across Georgia. We are working and helping to form lifers programs because being real under the new legislation’s some will have life sentences without parole we have to work with them in prison; Some will have life with parole especially under the old sentencing law, do we know it changed? We have to prepare many for re-entry and re-entry back into the same communities. We are in Frank Scott Prison with a boot camp, General Population, an another diversion center with over 1000, just in one of the five- (5) prisons across the street from each other; In Augusta State Prison volunteering with the ”Choose Freedom Program.” Our babies can be sentenced as adults from age’s 12 years to 17 years of age; we have to teach “Make the Right Choice.” In the State of Georgia as a volunteer Coordinator and I don’t get paid, in the last 6 months about 1500 Volunteer ministers, organizations, youth leaders etc, have come to certification classes sponsored or co-sponsored by the Beacon of Hope reaching out to black churches, Hispanic groups, Latino Groups, White churches of all denomination to help. As a minister I don’t just go in an preach but we go in to teach Life skills: Anger management class; construction management; drama; the lifer’s program; pardon and parole classes. We have a person from Tyler Perry’s office that volunteers with us young teachers who are teacher, counselors, and paraprofessional giving of their time. As we teach life skills the inmates have to be honest other wise we will be wasting our time in a revolving door pattern going in prison and in months he or she return back to the streets. To do what? the same thing over again but the next time could be your family or my family that a love one is killed in. As a civil rights leader and I have been that and still is. I have not changed regardless to where I work or volunteer. I started with civil rights in the early 70”s and have been loyal to the cause, so loyal that my same Allen I., Allen II, and Xenophon were placed on the front firing line and almost killed because of my dedication to civil right and loyalty to the movement and it’s concept’s. I love the NAACP, I love the SCLC but I don’t agree with fighting a system that is trying to work with us, but I do agree with helping to better it. If the question came up “ knowing what you know now, would you rethink volunteering for civil rights work? No. I don’t plan to back up going into the prison because it is what the Southeastern Regional Director Ruby Hurley instilled in me back in the 70’s. My first assignment was the Federal Prison in Atlanta. From there I went to volunteer with the Emmaus House caring families to visit love ones, into Reidsville, Phillips, in Newnan, Central State, in Walker County and yet I have never had a child to be incarcerated. Sometimes people ask why do you give so much of your time, then? Because I have seen wrong accusations; I have seen black and white people in position of law enforcement that didn’t have a heart to do correct investigations. I have seen charges “the deck stacked” to make the crime stick. I have seen us get into position to help make a change and we change for the worst as a black people and become a liability rather than an access. So what side do we blame or do we get in there and make a difference. As civil rights leaders it isn’t all about us but all the people who may suffer an injustice. Many times when we got involved it’s only because of our family, friends not over an injustice to any human. So many cases all over Georgia I seen back in the years if any help came to the person it was because it was a friend or family but there are some will help who so ever need it. I’m involved because when I went to Kansas to the 75th NAACP National convention in 1984 I saw new work emerge. A man was accused of a bank robbery and it wasn’t him but someone who looked exactly like him. Hard to believe but by working with the courts, working with the Judges the right man was released and the other was brought to trail. So as we work it’s not a buddy system but through love many of us give of ourselves because we know we are covering our love ones under the blood of Christ and help our people. From time to time I work as a Bailiff in the Superior Court of Cobb County. Now as a civil rights volunteer and volunteer in prison ministry I can’t be fired speaking out. However as a bailiff I may be fired but to sit and say nothing already places those of us who have been chairperson, vice presidents in both civil rights groups and many of us have held many positions in the NAACP, we fire ourselves if we sit quite and say some change have not came. We would look like private investigators who are sitting in the courts getting information to go back an attack the court system rather than continuing to build on getting our churches to open doors and let these Judges in to help train us. That is what many who I am working with we are now doing, they are in the churches I belong too when we let them in. The COPS groups I work with are in the community, more doors got to open to invite us in to talk to the youth. Then the respect must be given to us to say go talk to the Judges you work for and let build more working relationships. "This case reflects the unfair sentencing pattern in the Cobb County Judicial System as well as throughout Georgia." I agree down through the years it has not always been fair in some cases it’s been injustices for black’s of all genders in every court in the U.S, but I also agree the statement is too broad of a slap in the face against Cobb County Judges who are at every function the NAACP has almost and any other African American group, Church, so is the problem with us?. It say’s basically Cobb County has a pattern of sentencing black people different than white people how have we let this occur because we many if not all of the civil rights leaders are always with and before many of the Judges, and elected officials. Unless, I’m blind spiritually and naturally, I don’t see that in the courts I have worked in. I see them coming in the community when we asks, at the programs we ask them to be at, participating with the events. We know that all across America there has been some unjust cases so anyone in his or her right mind knows that the past brought some pain for many family. Slavery wasn’t fair and brought about pain but it’s a little better. In the past 10 years I has seen some change. I would like to see this large number of cases as a civil rights leader to see what we missed after all we are the one’s sitting in the courtroom. The new blood of Law enforcement being hired isn’t the old system we want to believe. . We have more black, Latino, Hispanic, officers trained to administer the law correctly in writing charges. For sure we have more educated Judges that aren’t red neck and are down to earth working with us; coming into the community when we asks them, so it doesn’t make sense the pattern in Cobb. It makes sense to asks Judge how did you come up with a verdict such as that one. In my opinion and I don’t know somewhere, someone, somehow when I hear this sort of thing it is due to representation. If they had three different attorneys and you brought them together you will see a difference in how their cases may have been presented. We as a civil right group are the highest in the Nation on the legal battlefield but we have never questioned how attorneys represent poor people. Cases like this is what perfect us in my opinion and brings us to the table of working more for the people. It's sad it the only time we speak out but we must be learned in from the day the police are called since we are questioning patterns. In the older days we would have meeting with Chief Hightowers, and staffs to address issues in the community. Where are we now as civil rights groups pulling the community into organized activities; Prevention Programs; where are we? I go into the prisons, the men and women talk. Many will be the 1st to tell you tell you the Judges they don’t want to go before, because who knows the system, Cobb County just happen to be one of the places. In the system they talk about where can you get a lessor sentence knowing that you did a serious crime. Dekalb nor Cobb is a place anyone want’s to be on trail at per inmates because many say, the games don’t work. Many believe the best place to have a trail is in Fulton because he or she can walk faster, get out of prison faster. To me that is interesting that the mindset is not about the crimes but the time to serve and how to beat the time. Making the Right Choice is always the last thought I am convinced we need to get a NAACP chapter back in the prisons. We need volunteers workers to get certified through the department of Correction to go into some of the larger Prisons and hear some of the cases, work with some of the men and women and not just on appeals. . It’s not as many in the prisons that say they didn’t do the crime but they say they don’t want as much time as they have. In four of the prisons I have gone to I have met maybe less than 10 out of 4,038 men who have said they didn’t do the crime and I could believe, but many will tell you they did the crime they just don’t want the time. We have to be unbiased and work with all people all year round and not just election time. Crimes is a year round event. I’ve been in the courthouse since 1999 as a Bailiff. We have a number of Bailiffs who have worked in the area of civil rights people. God has placed us in areas in my opinion to work in the second part of what the Southeast Regional Director began in the early 70”s. Many are doing the crimes and we have to get back to reforming the minds and hearts by encouraging and motivating men and women to be renewed by the renewing of a new mindset, change. Also God has placed us in the courtroom, we can’t be apart of wrong on either side. Many times we bring heat when we want higher salaries and job positions that is not enough. Since 1999, I have not seen any civil rights worker come into the courthouse to observe except maybe less than three times. I can tell you the cases they came into to watch because they were friends that are not how we watch as civil right leaders. We have to watch all cases and sat unbiased. When we say “ unfair sentencing pattern in the Cobb County Judicial system that means every Judge on the bench. We have a COP group who goes around to the churches and just introduce themselves to the community and work to build community relationships, but where are we in building relationships with the community, the courts, and church as civil rights groups. I’ll be the first to say we need some black Judges and in Juvenile court Judges but I will also be the first to say, most of the better qualified one who can serve say, “the heck with Juvenile court Judgeship seats.” Many say they make more money in private practices as attorneys. Where are we with the 30,000 Juveniles under the supervision of DJJ and or in one of the facilities. How are we reaching out to them? There are over 60,000 men and women incarcerated in Georgia, we have got to reach them in the prisons. We have got to begin reading facts in cases and seeing the whole process. I know as civil right leaders in the court system we are not sitting asleep. Everywhere in America if you have money you will have a different defense. If you have your own attorney you will have a different defense. If you are on the mercy of the courts we must have attorneys who will give just as good of a defense as one who is not a public Defender. We can’t say that the Judicial system is perfect, because Jesus was and will be the only perfect Judge but we can say many are trying to be the elected official the people elected them to be. We as civil rights leaders sitting in the courtroom sometimes are very important and we must take it serious. Just as serious as raising money. Published: 04/08/2008 Story Videos/Slideshows Click to view media. Story Photos - Click Image to Enlarge ward DuBose, president of the Georgia State Conference NAACP, center, speaks Monday evening about the sentencing of the black males in the ?Barbie Bandit? case by the Cobb County Judicial System. Daniel Varnado By Talia Mollett Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer MARIETTA - The National Association For the Advancement of Colored People is calling for the office of Attorney General Thurbert Baker to review sentencing patterns of Cobb County judges where blacks and whites are found guilty of similar crimes. The announcement, which came around 6 p.m. yesterday at the Cobb NAACP branch, was in response to "multiple" phone calls made to the branch after the March sentencing of the so-called "Barbie Bandits," said Edward DuBose, president of the Georgia State Conference NAACP. "This case reflects the unfair sentencing pattern in the Cobb County Judicial System as well as throughout Georgia," DuBose said. "This case also reflects the attitude of the judicial system that encourages harsher punishment in cases where African-Americans and Caucasians are accused of similar crimes and when they are involved in the same crime." DuBose said the sentences are a clear-cut example of unequal justice. Calling the Barbie Bandit case the "tip of the iceberg" for the court system, DuBose and Cobb NAACP branch president Deana Bonner said they have multiple documented examples of blacks receiving sentences that are too harsh in Cobb County. Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley sentenced Michael Chastang, the so-called "mastermind" in the February 2007 theft of an Acworth Bank of America branch, to the maximum 10 years allowed in the case. Benny Herman Allen III, the bank teller allegedly recruited by Chastang who assisted in the theft, received five years. Allen and Chastang are both black. Chastang is a convicted felon and his wrap sheet follows a trail over seven years on convictions ranging from drugs and intent to distribute to firearms and weapons charges. Allen was previously convicted following a drug bust in Bartow County and was serving five years probation. Staley sentenced Heather Johnston, one of the "Barbie Bandits," to serve 10 years probation, and Ashley Miller to serve 10 years - two in prison plus eight years probation. Their story gained national attention when surveillance video showed the two women sporting designer sunglasses and jeans as they walked into the branch and demanded money. Both women are white. Miller had a warrant out for a probation violation at the time of her arrest. Johnston had a clean record. "Let me be perfectly clear," DuBose said. "Neither the Georgia State Conference, nor the Cobb County branch of the NAACP, stand here today to condone criminal behavior. We recognize that criminal behavior, regardless of the race or color of the perpetrators, should be punished." Bonner said she has been inundated with calls by both blacks and whites concerned with disparities in the sentences. She said the community has come to a unanimous decision that it does not agree with the verdict. The organization has not sought clarification from Judge Staley on the sentences she imposed, DuBose said. tmollett@mdjonline.com Rate this Article

Cobb County Citizen says -
If you are going to challenge one of our experienced judges, bring some REAL experience to the table...our judges will not step down without a fight. They are here because we the people of Cobb County voted them in, and just like in this upcoming election, WE WILL KEEP THEM IN OUR COUNTY.

Joe Blow says -
Judge Grubbs is a bad joke to the judicial system. She has disrespected the system, the attorneys that stand before her, and most defendants that come into her court room. She is self-righteous, which is evident by her refusal to give anyone sentenced in her court a modification. She has proven to be Spiteful, vindictive, and a mean-spirited woman time and time again. We need a candidate to run against her. Lord knows they have my vote!!!