Wednesday, March 7, 2001
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Wednesday, March 7, 2001 |
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Judge 'mugs' student traffic offender at Sandy Creek By JOHN MUNFORD Students at Sandy Creek High School will soon find out what happens when you break the law and test the temper of a judge. The jail mug shot of a fellow classmate is on a flier that will be posted at the school in the near future. The flier will explain that Richard L. Roberts was jailed after being convicted of reckless driving and two counts of laying drag, which occurred on the school campus back in October. The flier was mandated in Roberts's sentence by State Court Judge Fletcher Sams. Roberts also received a 24-hour jail term, an $800 fine, and 12 months on probation. He must serve 40 hours community service, attend a character development course and a DUI/defensive driving course. Judge Sams told Roberts he hopes the flier helps "to deter you and others from doing this again." The reckless driving conviction automatically means that Roberts's license is suspended for six months, thanks to Georgia's Teenage and Adult Driver Responsibility Act, passed in 1997. Roberts attempted to defend himself in a bench trial before Judge Sams last month. He claimed that his tires squealed because he was still learning to operate his truck's manual transmission. "I was nervous," he said. "It was my first time driving a stick. It started rolling back and I put too much gas on it. ... I was scared I'd hit the car behind me." Roberts's claims came followed testimony from a Fayette County Sheriff's Deputy who witnessed the incident and tried to chase Roberts down seconds later. Dep. Anthony Rhodes said he reached around 80 mph but still was unable to catch Roberts. Dep. Rhodes was flagged down by a motorist moments later who had been run off the road by a truck matching the description of Roberts's vehicle, he testified. The student later said he wasn't aware Rhodes was pursuing him, although Rhodes said his blue lights and siren were activated at the time. Roberts contended that he wasn't speeding as he left the area, however, going "maybe 40" (mph), by his estimate. Two school administrators also testified that they witnessed him squealing off on another occasion after he wasn't supposed to be on campus. Roberts claimed the vehicle they saw wasn't his. This was after he admitted to being on campus when he wasn't supposed to be, so he could turn in an assignment. Judge Sams didn't buy Roberts's story. While sentencing the student, he chastised the young man for lying to the court. "I don't believe you," Sams said, adding that he still remembers learning to drive a truck with a manual transmission. Roberts begged to keep his license so he could continue working and training to get an athletic scholarship to college. One slip-up during probation, and Roberts could spend the rest of his probated sentence in jail, Sams reminded him. "I pray that I don't see you again on anything similar to this," Sams said when handing down the sentence. "I promise you I won't have near as much patience as I have had today."
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