Suspect In Rape And Murder Of Megan Sharpton Is Arrested- Donnie Frank Jones In Custody For Felony Gun Possession
Donnie Frank Jones, Jr, 37, of Tullahoma, TN was arrested this afternoon after a search warrant at his home revealed the convicted felon was in possession of a firearm. The elementary school which is also on Bel Air Drive, was in lockdown this afternoon during the search.
Jones is the prime suspect in the brutal murder of Megan Sharpton, and is linked to her death via a CODIS match as previously reported on BOC.
Details are still emerging, check back to www.blinkoncrime.com for updates.
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Sealed or not sealed, if you or a loved one are murdered, raped, mutiliated by a “rehabilitated” juvenile offender, does it really matter? Really? Records should be available to LE and NO violent juvie offense should ever be expunged. AJMO
ATG – Texas girl with both grandfathers gone – thank you for your input. I have adopted you as well! I have always said that I was born in the wrong generation. We raise our kids with “old fashioned” values and expect nothing less than what is right, honorable and honest. A very common speech in my house, “Everything you do sets an example – right, wrong or otherwise. While you live under my roof, it damn well better be a good one!” That, in my opinion, is a big part of what is wrong with the world today. No values, no beliefs, no personal responsibility. Bring back the Golden Rule and that literally would fix everything. Naive, I know. But a girl can dream…
Christy, thank you for sharing your story. It’s especially hard when it’s one of our family members who seems to keep getting in trouble.
I always wonder if it’s somehow the parenting or where the low self-esteem comes from or just why?? Hopefully your brother will find something meaningful in his new setting.
Also, forgot to say thanks for the newspaper info. I’m surprised that there was not more on the Nashville channels, except for NG time.
If the local paper publishes three times a week, they must have chosen to not follow the story. I would think there would be so many angles that it would draw readers. Maybe the publisher and editors were afraid of resulting violence?
A Texas Grandfather says:
October 8, 2012 at 11:57 pm
Well, thank you very much, MY dear friend! It’s not the same every year. I have no idea how it works to be honest. All I know is that is crept up on me rather unexpectedly, this year.
xo
Thank you Survivor
IMO you were not born in the wrong generation. You have chosen good values over bad to set the tone of your families life. We have since the middle 1960′s in this country allowed too much slack in our everyday behaviors with others.
The “don’t hurt their feelings agenda” has created a mess. It only takes about ten to fifteen percent of a population to correct general social mistakes and likewise a similar percentage to destroy them. I choose to be one who tries to build good values in society. If enough like yourself and many others who post on this site as well as in the general population support good values, they will once again be the guiding light of goodness.
I’ll probably get some rock thrown for this, but the truth will stand scrutiny. We should have as a society put a stop to the hippy movement and its socialist drug related agenda in the period of 1962 to 1972. This and a complicent TV and movie agenda is the major cause of our current lose of values.
Lyndsay- thank you for sharing your knowledge with us and for doing it in such a respectful way.
Congratulations on furthering your education and for furthering ours too.
Survivor thanks for weighing in you asked:
“Sealed or not sealed, if you or a loved one are murdered, raped, mutiliated by a “rehabilitated” juvenile offende, does it really matter? Really? Records should be available to LE and NO violent juvie offense should ever be expunged. AJMO”
Survivor I understand your worry- but to those many juveniles who never reoffender it doea matter and it matters to those who have dedicated their lives to helping such kids
please read the juvie laws by state- As far as I have read-it seems violent offenses are not eligible for sealing- especially not to LE and there are restrictions to who is eligible to expunge Many safeguards are in place and those juveniles who mutilate maim and kill or who are sexual offenders etc are usually treated as adults not juveniles. I realize the system isnt perfect by a long shot but after researching it seems LE is aware even to sealed records I hope knowing this helps -
Christy I appreciate you taking the time to read thru my post I am glad you found it interesting. BTW I must also say thanks for sharing your personal story with us.
Did you get a chance to look at the Laws for Texas?
It seems LE would have been aware of your brothers juvenile acts- so please dont feel as though “Had his juvenile records been recognized, he would have either had a longer sentence his first time in the system,”
As for being sent into programs that should have helped him- I agree he should have been and I am wondering who might have dropped the ball –
==
I am so sorry that you couldnt help him Christy but you tried your best even though you were young too & only a sibling. I am sorry he chose to stay on the path- I am sorry no one else seemed to step up to try and steer him back
I want to say he wasnt truly a‘born to be bad’ criminal, I know you recognize this yourself when speaking of his childhood-but sometimes it takes an outsider to say it- before its okay for us to believe it
It would seem, many people and agencies failed your brother and he Failed/gave up on himself- you were not one of them.
Many kids who are sent off to prison affiliate themselves with a gang while inside- sometimes it is forced upon them either way often times it becomes “safer” for them to do so –
Thanks again Take care Christy
AJMO
Peace
PS
Heres some info for all those in Texas:
snipped=
A child is defined as a person between ten and sixteen years old, or a person seventeen years old who is “alleged or found to have engaged in delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision as a result of acts committed” before turning 17.[5] Therefore, if a person commits a criminal act at age seventeen or older, that individual will be under adult criminal court jurisdiction.
The Juvenile Justice Code permits the juvenile court to use discretion in waiving its original jurisdiction to transfer a child to adult criminal court.[6] To meet the criteria for transfer, a child must be at least fourteen years of age and alleged to have committed a capital felony, an aggravated controlled substance felony, or a first degree felony; or a child must be at least fifteen years of age and alleged to have committed a second or third degree felony or state jail felony.[7] The juvenile court is also required to balance the seriousness of the offense and a child’s background with the welfare of the community in determining if adult criminal proceedings are appropriate.[8]
Texas also allows for determinate sentencing.[11]If the child is found to have committed delinquent conduct that constitutes habitual felonious conduct or serious felonious conduct, then a court or jury may sentence the child to commitment to Texas Youth Commission with a possible transfer to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a term of up to forty years.[12]A juvenile receiving a determinate sentence is not eligible to have the records sealed.[
Juvenile records, although confidential, are still available to certain agencies and organizations, including criminal justice officials such as police, prosecutors, and probation officers.[14] However, juvenile records may also be available to employers, schools, colleges, and licensing agencies
Juvenile records in Texas are confidential with a few notable exceptions. Information contained in the JJIS may be shared with any person or entity authorized by the government code,[41]United States military personnel (with a juvenile’s permission), to a juvenile justice agency, to the Texas Youth Commission or Texas Juvenile Probation Commission for analytical purposes, to the ombudsman for the Texas Youth Commission.[42]
Texas created the “Automatic Restriction to Access of Records System” in 2001.[16] Although it does not seal juvenile records, it establishes another method by which juvenile records may be better protected as long as specific requirements are met.[17] However, the restricted access program, although automatic, allows criminal justice agencies to access a juvenile’s record for criminal justice purposes.[18] The only method through which juvenile records are actually destroyed, thus preventing access by any organization, is through sealing.[19]
Automatic Restriction to Access of Records
This program does not seal or destroy a juvenile’s record, but it does restrict access to every individual or organization except criminal justice agencies.[49]
DPS sends a certification to the juvenile probation department when a juvenile’s records become eligible for restricted access, and the records are then classified as restricted.[52] A juvenile becomes eligible upon reaching twenty-one if he has not committed any jailable crime after turning seventeen.[53] Once the records are placed on restricted access, if the juvenile commits a jailable crime, even after the age of twenty-one, the records will be automatically removed from restricted access.[54] Some juveniles are never eligible for restricted access, including those who receive a determinate sentence (a sentence that extends into the juvenile’s adult years),[55]juveniles who are certified and transferred to adult criminal court,[56]juveniles classified as violent or habitual offenders,[57]as well as juveniles with sex offender registration records,[58]or records related to a criminal street gang.[59]
Once records are placed on restricted access, only criminal justice agencies may view the record, and only for a criminal justice purpose.
While automatic restriction is free, a juvenile will most likely need to hire an attorney to initiate the formal court proceeding necessary to seal a record.[66] As long as the juvenile was not convicted of a capital offense, the adjudication is vacated and treated as if it never existed.[70] All agencies must reply that no record exists to any inquiries and the juvenile may answer no when asked if he was the subject of a criminal proceeding.[71] Note that there is no exception that allows criminal justice agencies to still view a juvenile’s record as there is under the restricted access program. However, a prosecuting attorney may make a request that a court allow the use a sealed juvenile record in the punishment phase of a criminal proceeding. DPS may also see a juvenile’s sealed records as part of a concealed handgun license application.[72] Finally, unlike the restricted access program, a juvenile’s records cannot be unsealed if the juvenile later commits a jailable offense.
Eligibility for record sealing depends on the crime the juvenile committed. If a juvenile is found not guilty or the charge is dismissed, the juvenile’s record must be immediately sealed by the court.[73] If the juvenile committed a misdemeanor, the court must seal the records if two years have passed since final discharge and the juvenile has not been convicted of anything else or has any charges pending.[74] Finally, if the juvenile committed a felony, the court is not required to seal the record. It may choose to do so only if the juvenile is at least twenty-one, was not certified to adult criminal court, the record has not been introduced in the punishment phase of a criminal proceeding, and the juvenile has not been convicted of another felony since turning seventeen.[75] Similar to the restricted access program, juveniles who receive a determinate sentence, have sex offender registry records, or are juveniles classified as habitual offenders may not have records sealed.[76]
—
I keep checking and hoping for news. (IE: other arrests, charges, suspects etc)
if I’m impatient, I can’t even imagine the family’s impatience.
Wordgirl, our newspaper isn’t exactly known for reporting /investigative news. Chamber events, and the like are their forte.
I know, Christy. When I was in college I spent the summer at a small town paper(1 x week tabloid) and I am thankful I got to play the game but mostly because I learned to respect the written word, to get quotes correct in verbiage, as well as intent, and to realize that there are two very important things to my readers:
Obits and Sports scores.
Both are part of the public record and you need to get it right.
I’m so glad to have ‘met’ the people of Tullahoma here (despite this sad situation). You have passion and intelligence along with a courageous spirit to make needed changes where you live.
Stay strong, be well, and know that you can count on us to support you in these coming days.
Still waiting on the TBI. The sheriff and the DA have voiced their displeasure with the wait. Things are coming in, albiet very slowly. At least they are moving again. It’s pretty trying to know what we know and not have him charged. We just keep hoping each day for the answers DA Taylor thinks he needs to charge him. Megan’s birthday is next week. Maybe that will be her gift…
http://www.wkrn.com/story/19791991/shelbyville-police-search-for-possible-abduction-victim
Another woman missing and possible abduction.
Did anyone read about the missing girl in shelbyville . she was 23 years old.
@staring at the stars
Bless you and your family and God will provide the strength to endure this wait and what a wonderful birthday present it would be for charges to be brought forth.
so frustrating!
Everyone please stay safe!
Remember, there haven’t been other arrests yet and just stay aware of your surroundings and the people around you.
Kelly, I can’t tell you how much my family thinks of you all. All the time. Megan is from good people. <3
OT — here is another sad one.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/body-found-jessica-ridgeway-search-intact/story?id=17449354#.UHc1zLQx_Hg
The woman from Shelbyville faked the abduction. This behavior is exactly one of the prime reasons that LE somtimes does not move quickly in an adult abduction.
This woman needs to be given about a years worth of community clean-up chores and some good counciling to try and clear up her backwards behavior.
Yeah, the girl from Shelbyville faked her abduction! She was found safe with her family in Nashville.
Christian – you might be right in that complete brain development does not take place until 25. It is no younger than 18 at the very least, somewhere within that age range. It may seem that violent crime for both juveniles and adults is on the rise because this site puts the focus on a very specific type of offender, (and while I’m glad that it does, and no insult intended to Blink), as we are wont to do as it is so shocking and heinous. But it is still important to remember that by and large, these types of stranger-abduction crimes are still very very rare within the context of criminal activity. It is extremely unfortunate that Megan Sharpton, Mickey Shunick, and countless others crossed paths with these offenders. But unfortunately, as we have seen many a time on this site and in the news, the greatest amount of unreported violent crime (see the National Crime Victimization Surveys produced yearly by the Bureau of Justice Statistics) is interfamilial or from a perpetrator known to the victim, including sexual assault. (off-topic: children are more likely to be sexually abused by a family member than an offender on the sex offender registry).
ATG: I can’t comment on your statement on loss of values. I’m going to agree to disagree with you as I was not alive during the time period you spoke of. (And when offering a different point of view, especially with this current election, I try to remember that everyone is coming from different levels of experience). But you might remember that media has changed drastically in the last 50 years. It may not be that the nature of society or criminal behavior has changed, but we’re just so much more aware of it now on a 24/7 basis. There’s so much more information out there that gives the appearance that we’re a more criminal society than forty years ago. People don’t use media that they have access to responsibly. 3 things have changed that give the appearance of more violence or a change in values: media, as I stated; second, the lethality of our weapons has changed – guns are more widely accessible to everyone nowadays. Back in your day street gangs carried pocket knives. Now they carry guns that they don’t know how to use. What would have been an assault back then quickly becomes a homicide. Third, police reporting is far better, more accurate and thorough than it was 40 or 50 years ago. Police departments have more accountability and standards placed upon them to report crime accurately. Despite all these factors however, crime rates as a whole have been cut in half since the early 1990s. Our homicide rates are still disproportionately high mainly because of the increased lethality of weapons cited above (without starting a 2nd amendment debate on here). Hope this helps assuade your fears a little.
FYI – one last thing – for those interested in juvenile offender issues, http://www.thecrimereport.org is a really interesting resource for this and all types of criminal justice issues including research reports etc.
Good work on the Texas juvenile records Mom3.0. This must have been retrived from Lexis/Nexis.
The juvenile facility in Texas is located at Gatesville and it is not small. The 2000 census reported 456 inmates.
Lyndsay
Thanks for the link to the crime report. This is published by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. The school is not new to me, but I did not know of their internet site. I will check out some of their work.
In regards to your concerns in post #19 above whether I feared things. Please do not think I am afraid. The world is how each of us percieve it based on our life experience and education. You are a product of that just as am I and anyone else who posts on this site.
We all do have the opportunity to learn from each other while we express ourselves regarding crime in these cases reported by Blink.
We have always in my lifetime had a problem with big city crime and gangs. This is not likely to go away anytime soon. What is different today vs fifty or sixty years ago is that a lot of these gangs are related to drug trafficing and they involve a lot of younger people.
Because of the general nature of society when I was young, people did not carry guns for self protection because there was little need. Today that is no longer true. A gun is an inanimate object that needs a human to do something. Guns by themselves cannot kill, humans kill using guns.
Most young males when I was a youngster were given their first gun as a hunting weapon. It was usually an inexpensive single shot 22 calibre rifle. Much safety instruction was given with admonition to never point it at another person unless you were in danger. Pistols were likewise given sometimes in the mid to late teen years with the same instruction.
MY first gun was a J.C. Higgins single shot 22 ordered from the Sears & Roebuck catalog. It cost $12.50. I was nine years old. It was my rifle, but I was not in possession of it unless we were going hunting or to the range, an open field on a rising slope to prevent bullets from going beyond our control. A bullet from such a gun is capable of traveling more than a mile.
A knife is a tool. I have carried one in my pocket since I was six years old. In those days every young lad had one. We carried them to school to primarily sharpen pencils or cut string. We could also use them to whittle objects from soft pine boards. I never saw a knife used in a fight until I was seventeen. Two black guys argueing over something and one of them suddenly whipped out his knife and stabbed the other in the eye. I was totally shocked at that behavior.
I would like to think that you are correct regarding a decrease in crime since 1990. However, my experience with the FBI’s uniform crime report tells me that it may or may not be true. That is a very convoluted report to prepare and a lot of small LE organizations have difficulty preparing it.
Our chosen values are the things that make us who we are in regards to society. There are good values and some that are not. What transpires in your home, your parents and siblings, and in the neighborhood all have an affect on values and how they are selected.
Hey Blink
Tell me you’re on the Jessica Ridgeway case. Sounds like they could use the help.
Blink are going to be doing anything about Jessica Ridgeway??? So very sorry love to the parents. My prayers are still with you and your family. Mamma still shining down giving encouragement!!!! Hope you know how many so us have taken you under our wing as our extra daughter one to be very proud of !! tee2 and old grandma
@tea2
Thank you kindly.
B
I totally agree with survivors comment at the top of this page. What this animal did to my child is unbelievable. I will never wrap my head around WHY he was so brutal. We can’t discuss everything he did to her, but trust me, if you are outraged with what you know, after the trial you will be floored. I just don’t and can’t understand. He should have been stopped long before his path crossed Megan’s. He wasn’t. His behavior was excused and “plead” and left many people in his path wounded and dead. If you are a juvenile and turn your life around, no one would ask or even know you have a record. If you continue to reek havok and chaos everywhere you go, well, it’s fair game. It’s a non-issue for me. Do dumb things as a kid and live well as an adult, noone would ask for the records. Easy enough. No excuses for him. My kids have had a less than perfect life and are all good and worthy citizens. Another note, my heart is heavy for Jessica’s family. I know the pain they felt when it was confirmed they had found her. I will cry with and for them. I wish them peace and that their girl can stop a monster too.
My heart is heavy too for Jessica’s family. I held back from commenting about her here out of respect for this being Megan’s thread. I share Ms. Sharpton’s wish that their “girl can stop a monster too.”
Staring at the Stars
The fact that DJ was “on the street” able to harm someone is the real question that needs to be answered. The criminal justice system is responsible for this behavior.
Wendy Murphy has a book out that has a subtitle “And justice for some”. Wendy is a mother of five with a legal background. The picture she paints is one that all citizens need to know about. With that knowledge, one has a lot better understanding of where and what to look for in our local situations. It is not pretty. Sometimes I think that the criminal is afforded more rights than the victim. It may be true in many cases.
I have not addressed you directly regarding the loss of your daughter. My prayers to you and your family that you will achieve justice and some peace when this concludes.
Dear Staring at the Stars,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
For you to still be open and understanding to the fact that it is all dependent on the individual speaks to your heart and mind, you are a remarkable mother to be able to still see this isnt a black and white issue.
Even though you are going through this horrible grief you are not calling for blanket revenge just justice for Megan.
You are a lady of great heart to be able to reach out during this sad time, to lend your solidarity and comfort to Jessica Ridgeways family and friends – I hope blink will be covering her case too
Staring At The Stars- Thank you for sharing personal details such as-that your children were not perfect yet they grew to be worthy citizens. Just like so many others who go on to live productive lives.
DJones certainly did not fall into this category and seemed only to escalate in his atrocities In light of this, you are so right when you lament that he should never been allowed to weasel out or plead to lesser charges-
It sickens me to think that you are right and Megan could have been saved had DJ been prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
You wrote in part and I agree:
“He should have been stopped long before his path crossed Megan’s. He wasn’t. His behavior was excused and “plead” and left many people in his path wounded and dead. If you are a juvenile and turn your life around, no one would ask or even know you have a record. If you continue to reek havok and chaos everywhere you go, well, it’s fair game. It’s a non-issue for me. Do dumb things as a kid and live well as an adult, noone would ask for the records. Easy enough. No excuses for him. My kids have had a less than perfect life and are all good and worthy citizens.”
Staring at the Stars– I appreciate you keeping us updated via your October 11, 2012 at 7:27 am comment hopefully it wont be too long before Megan can have her justice- I am so sorry to read of her upcoming Birthday she should be here with you to celebrate it-
May her killers be held to the strictest punishments and may it be soon
Sending My heart felt condolences as well as prayers for comfort and strength to you Megans Momma
Most Sincerely
Mom3.0
ATG, thanks for your response. I had not known that that was a John Jay site – it makes sense. (It is linked to my school’s CJ homepage).
I agree with your point regarding firearms. You are correct in that gangs in this time and culture are far different now with their involvement in drug trafficking. There was actually an interesting phenomena that took place around 1992-1994 that researchers looking at crime data had trouble explaining – this rise in deadly youth violence. What was interesting was that homicides by youth had increased but aggravated assaults had more or less stayed the same. There was a spike in homicides during this time period and then it started steadily declining again. It was eventually attributed to 2 things: 1. lots of gang members involved in drug trafficking went to jail during the War on Drugs in the 1980s. When older gang members go to jail, younger teens fill in the power vacuum – so when a 20 year old goes to jail, his 16 year old brother takes over his drug business. Kids new to this “game” have not spent the time that their older mentors have in forming communication and negotiation skills to know what to do in certain situations. Plus you had a lot of illegal semiautomatic handguns ending up in their hands. I don’t know enough about arms markets to say why this happened. But kids who were taught to use hunting rifles responsibly, and kids who end up with semiautomatics somehow, are two very different groups of kids. Thats what I meant by the nature of firearms changing, without causing a 2nd amendment debate – it’s not the amount of guns but that the ones in the illegal market are deadlier now, and end up in the hands of the people who have not been shown how to use them responsibly – kids.
Little Jessica’s story is another that just grabs your heart.
Megans story is, as Kelly and ATG said, a product of a very failed justice system.
Knowing some of the players in the backstory of DJ’s past and plea deals and knowing that his ‘mommy’ goes back and forth over fully supporting him and his innocence in this case infuriates me.
Knowing his wife was a player in this makes me vomit.
Listening to Kelly’s daughter in law and how they’ve managed to stay focused and trust the system, just makes me want to protect them all from anymore hurts.
There are sick people in this world and Megan’s voice will be heard and will stop this monster.
Lyndsay
A semi-automatic weapon is one that must have the trigger pulled each time it is fired. A portion of the explosive gas is routed to move the next shell into position for firing. An automatic weapon can fire as long as the trigger is held down and there is ammunition in the magazine. Most automatic weapons are considered to be illegal.
Most of the weapons used by these youths in the drug gangs are purchased on the street and when traced are usually found to be stolen.
What do drugs do to the human brain and how does it affect behavior? Society is still learning about this. We know that they inhibit the ability to reason.
We have also realized that the place of reason is located in the frontal lobes of the brain which is the last to develop. I have a theory that this development is delayed in present society because we have removed responsibility from our youth. This is futher hindered by our insistence that all children are the same and there should be equal outcomes for all efforts. The everyone wins or there is no score kept. Children know when they have been told they deserve a tropy or a ribbon for participation only that it is strange. This is definately against nature.
We have another problem in that we have more and more babies born to those that are children themselves without benifit of a loving family to guide them. These single children having babies lead to another generation of children with even less opportunity to grow up with good values. It is IMO a terrible cycle that some how must be corrected by society.
Based on your information I have concluded that you are studying or have studied CJ in school. This is a broad area of knowledge with many areas avaliable for specialization. Please learn to carefully evaluate all of your reports and other information. Check the data carefully that supports a position. There is much information that is based on unverified sources.
copied by me:
ATG: “Based on your information I have concluded that you are studying or have studied CJ in school. This is a broad area of knowledge with many areas avaliable for specialization. Please learn to carefully evaluate all of your reports and other information. Check the data carefully that supports a position. There is much information that is based on unverified sources.”
Yup, that’s what my classes teach. We always look at the methods used to obtain data and filter out biased sources. I would not take anything as fact that had been produced in a politically-biased report or for a lobbying organization (something that is explicitly pro or anti-gun control for example). That’s why education is so important and so undervalued, especially at the graduate level. Social scientists know that most politicians are going to take your data and either spin it to their own ends or bury it. Not to say that graduate work is flawless – it’s constantly being refuted and questioned and restated. There are even researchers who later on refute their own work! I would not state anything as verified here that has not been by independent research. The UCR and NCVS surveys are flawed but unfortunately that is the best estimate we have for reported or unreported crimes. NAMUS was a huge victory as well in terms of getting more accurate information but because it relies on police dept’s voluntary participation it is frustratingly flawed as well. Unfortunately a lot of social science (hence why my boyfriend who is an engineer does not consider it “real science”) cannot be based on traditional experimental research (unless you are repeatedly running Zimbardo prison experiments which would never fly), thus where it is at a disadvantage in terms of predicting future crime patterns or giving definitive answers on causes. Everything is always up for debate. But the same way I trust DNA evidence over eyewitness testimony, I do still trust verified empirical research more than I do politicians or people with an agenda.
Ms. Sharpton, I am so sorry for your loss. I am also very sorry that you had to find out so much about how your daughter died, in the media or otherwise, and put up with a delayed arrest process. I cannot even begin to imagine what you must be going through.
Also, ATG, your perspective and technical knowhow on firearms is highly appreciated by me – because I know almost nothing about them other than which ones are handguns and which ones aren’t.
Thank you for the kind words of encouragement. I needed to know what happened to her. She is one of four people who knows what my heart sounds like from the inside and I need to try to stand up for her and not let her down. Dealing with it is a daily process but with all the support we know she matters and that helps. I read and respect everyone’s position as I try to make some sort of sense of all of this. There is an attorney in our town who is willing to take this case “if the money is right”. He has a daughter… how can he sit across from a monster knowing full well what he is capable of. Let’s hope he suddenly develops a conscious and won’t do it. He is money driven and could care less about the ethical impact of defending this devil. He is less than nobel with his intent. Trust me on this. if he chooses to represent him, I will have to get loud and share what I know. Again, thank you everyone for your support and insight…peace for Megan.
I was under the impression this is a dead issue outside of the ethical situation, if not, I agree with you.
B
I hope they have him in a cell all alone. So he can think about what he has done everyday.
I was thinking the ATF was going to charge him.
You know it has been almost 4 months.I would think they have all the test back by now. and can charge him..I just dont understand what the wait is.Can you tell us B
I believe that this case is progressing in the next 2 weeks.
B
Lyndsay
I am chuckling over your engineer boyfriend’s position on social science. He is IMO correct. Maybe in another one hundred years these people in the social area will be entitled to the Social Science title. Social studies is all that I can give them at this time.
You need to know more about firearms. It is a big subject. The thing about firearms is that a lot of people are biased about the particular brand and model of firearm they use. Firearms are like kitchen knives where there are dozens of types designed for a particular purpose. The same things are true in ammunition.
I would think that your school library would have several books on firearms. If not, you could ask the librarian if there is an exchange program with a school with a larger library. Of course you could go to Amazon and do some searches for books related to firearms.
Starting from a very small knowledge base will make it difficult at first to make sense of what you see in book titles. Another thought is speaking with one of your professors or teachers to get some recommendations for titles. Or, two more sources are the NRA (National Rife Association) web site and simply going to a magazine stand and picking up several of the magazines on guns.
Lyndsay- I recently took a post grad course that included wound recognition and approximation study as it related to weapons and tools used in homicide- with the end goal of analysis in offender profile determination and initial crime scene values. ATG is absolutely correct, if you intend to pursue that route in your study, it will serve you well to learn your firearms
B
It is my understanding that this “lawyer” and I use the term loosely is still stating that if “the money is right” he intends to represent the monster. I will not sit quietly by and let this happen. Not after what he has done to my child…I will get very very loud if he chooses to follow his evil path. He is a selfish, ruthless being and no better than dj as far as I am concerned.
Staring at the Stars
We all feel your pain and want the best for your family and Megan. However, the court will appoint an attorney for DJ unless he chooses to represent himself.
In many jurisdictions, all attorneys working in criminal law are made to be part of a pool. The court then keeps a record of those who belong to this pool and picks from the list. The attorney then has little choice unless there is a conflict of other cases or of interest in the particular case. The attorney may like taking the case any more than you would want him to take it.
As much as I want every single charge to hit DJ and hit hard, I want Megan’s case to knock him on his ass where he will wish the only thing was the federal ATF charge.
I want every single person remotely involved with her being taken from her family and friends to be put away hard.
As I’ve said before, if I’m this impatient, imagine the family.
But their resolve for justice and for Megan’s voice to be heard gives me pause and this will shine a light on all the bad that’s gone on way too long here.
Anyone thinking of taking advantage of Kelly’s pain ( side eye to the ‘lawyer’ ) can just step back.
The only sounds we want are ‘guilty’ and Megan’s memories in peace for her family and friends.
I am attempting to resolve the attorney issue through the proper channels.
I hope to do that. In the event I cannot, blink will likely publish the backstory.
This in no way mitigates my anguish over it until then.
I have requested comment and interview with that party, no response, fyi.
B
A Texas Grandfather- sorry, but I have a family full of attorneys that would disagree with you lol! DJ can hire private counsel, and all attorneys have the right to choose whether or not they would like to be considered as a court appointed attorney. A mandatory pool does not exist in any jurisdiction in the US. This attorney that Megan’s mom is talking about is saying that he will represent DJ if DJ or his family can pay him enough money- and, in this case, he would be a privately hired attorney.
I believe ATG was referring to PD’s, as Donnie asked for one in his pending case.
Donnie has no income, and it is my understanding his wife now has a reduced income as well.
If someone is considering footing his legal bill, they should know that is considered income to him, and will become public record in the face of his request for indigent relief.
Yes, everyone has a right to choose counsel. That said, sworn officers of the court are subject to the rules and regulations of the TBA, period. I submit that an attorney offering to represent a criminal defendant must be in compliance of those regulations or answer to the TBA and any appropriate remedies sought.
B
HI Kelly Can you tell me if Megan and Donnie was friends before this happen. I read most times its family and friends that do this..
Not Kelly, blink, but I can certify they were not. Had occasion to say hi or bye on occasion as it related to the commute, that’s it.
B
B – any chance you looked at that case? Information online is very slow coming
(
I am at least 3 weeks behind my backlog unfortunately, I will try, but may be a while.
B
Proud2BADanceMom
Thanks for your information about the pool of lawyers. Things may have changed in recent years. Forty years ago in Texas such a pool existed in Harris County. This may not be used in your state.
The Texas pool took the place of a group of Public Defeenders where the state or the county had no system of people hired for that purpose.
I cannot find an office of public defender listed for our county which has about the same population as Coffee County, Tennessee with three times the land area nor am I able to find an office in the surrounding counties.
Of course in private practice, any qualified attorney is free to take a case or not. Today, if a person is indigent, a lawyer can take a case and then appeal to the court to pay his or her fees. Think of Biaz in the Casey Anthony case in Florida.
With the number of cases in our courts today, it makes sense to have State or County Public Defenders. The salary of a Public defender is often a lot less than the hourly rate of a private practice attorney.
And many times, lawyers take high profile cases for the publicity…not money.
‘Normal’ folks see it as bad publicity. (Ie: Baez)
but to some, any publicity is good.
No matter, this ‘lawyer’ is grossly unscrupulous.
There are many lawyers that would not practice criminal law, because of personal ethics of defending a guilty person.
DJ, if he truly has no financial support from his mommy, will be better just accepting a PD.
As Blink stated, any legal assistance is income. (Think Zimmerman)
Interesting article at Legal Weasel regarding a Nashville lawyer.
http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/legal-weasel/Content?oid=1193356
Is there a different place for Megan Sharpton comments? No one has written since 10/18 6 pm? Just wonderin’
Hi Kelly,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, every day. I have a question regarding your comment, “Trust me on this. If he chooses to represent him, I will have to get loud and share what I know.” What is your reason for holding back either way?
Thanks
I will field this for Kelly- she was advised to for the time being.
B
I haven’t read this page in a few days; came back looking for an update. Hope it comes soon.
Lyndsay, I apologize if I’ve come off as bitchy, I’m dealing with skin cancer and have been a bit off the cuff recently. I truly wish I didn’t know just how true your statements about child sexual assault were, and I am in complete agreement there. For the most part, I can agree with your (and Texas Grandfather’s) statements about social sciences. For the most part, they are not true sciences, which is why I minored, originally, in neuroscience, in order to add a biological reference to things I was being taught in Psychology and Social Work (the latter being a way to get a job after graduation). I detest Freud and everything he stood for and find it rare that people in these fields see a person as a person instead of a diagnosis or statistic. That being said…Social Work is not exactly known for it’s research. When I began mine as an undergrad (research fellowship), the department was decidedly unprepared for the type of research I was doing, not only due to the statistical evaluations used, but the subject matter was a bit scandalous. I will share some of that with you in case it sparks an interest in your studies, and will gladly give works cited if you like. Some of it may sound familiar.
“During 2004, the Southern states’ population was 36.1% of the Nation’s inhabitants. It is estimated that, in that year alone, 41.9% of the Nation’s violent crimes occurred in this area. A total of 66,619 cases of DV were reported in 2004 in Tennessee. According to TBI’s 2007 Crime in Tennessee report, 48% of all person crimes were DV offenses. DV victims totaled 83,418 for 2007, with a total of 31,228 arrests. In the span of three years, there was a 25% change: an increase of 16,799 reported DV victimizations in the state of Tennessee since 2004.”
(As a side note, DV offenses in the state have dropped a whopping 1% over the past three years.)
“In order to address the situation in the state regarding the legal aspect of DV, the history of laws concerning violent acts and the way those laws are perceived must be examined. Previous research into the Honor Culture has non-specifically addressed the perpetuation of violence through existing capital punishment, self-defense, and domestic violence laws within the Southern states12.
Tennessee is one of 36 states to employ the death penalty. As of 2008, the South has the highest death penalty rate in the United States with a total of 921 executions since 1976, the next being the Midwest with 127 executions13. Tennessee’s murder rates were ranked 16th in the United States during 200713. In holding with Honor Culture norms and previous research, this information may be interpreted as a collective justified sense of retribution7.
Social attitudes towards violence as social control can further be reflected by public stances concerning gun control, national defense, and permissive self-defense laws. Southerners are more likely than other U.S. residents to approve of aggressive behavior when utilized as a means of “protection of self, home, and property; defense of honor; socialization of children; and various forms of social control”7. Southerners are shielded by law in the use of force as a means of protection. Current self-defense laws coincide with norms within the Honor Culture, in that Tennessee self-defense statutes do not require a person to retreat before threatening or using force, as seen in T.C.A. § 36-11-61114. The ideal of frontier-era toughness can be seen in this law, in that a person is not required to run away from their abuser or concede defeat.
Under the Weapons part entitled Defenses in Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-17-1322, “A person shall not be charged with or convicted of a violation under this part if the person possessed, displayed or employed a handgun in justifiable self-defense or in justifiable defense of another during the commission of a crime in which that person or the other person defended was a victim. [Acts 1994, ch. 943, § 1.]”15. The South has been a largely agrarian society where hunting for meat was originally a component of survival, and therefore the requirement of firearms became ingrained in the Southern culture. This method of providing for one’s family has become largely outdated, and thus the necessity of firearms has decreased, though hunting is largely continued as a sport in the South. In psychological research, the presence of guns has been correlated to an increase in testosterone levels and feelings of aggression16. The presence of firearms in a hostile environment could then heighten aggressive feelings towards another person, thereby creating a dangerous atmosphere. This law reflects a lenient attitude toward firearm control and self-defense within the state7.
Current legislation, while not overtly condoning DV, is less strict in the South than other areas. This phenomenon may be due to the projected perception that women are subordinate to men and must therefore be controlled or coerced into “proper” female behaviors, especially in response to real or imagined infidelity7. The history of Southern DV law has become more protective of women over the years, but continues to reflect roots in religion and British law. Early American jurisprudence stems from ethos of Christianity and British common law. These statutes and case law deem violence an appropriate means of “correction” for slaves, children, and wives; and tend to favor personal privacy in such matters7. The South has been shown to be more accepting of violence when used for coercion and punishment than other areas of the United States, namely in its laws and social policies7. In the Bible’s creation story, women were relegated to the status of slaves to their husbands after Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3:16). In following with this ideal, British common law of the 18th century combined married couples to one legal entity, headed by the man, and allowed the husband to beat his wife with a rod no thicker than his thumb17. This idea carried into the United States through immigration to become a foundation of early DV law. In Mississippi, the Bradley v. State case of 1824 set forth legal precedent for the husband to “exercise the right of moderate chastisement, in cases of great emergency, and use salutary restraints in every case of misbehavior, without being subjected to vexatious prosecutions, resulting in the mutual discredit and shame of all parties concerned”17. It was not only the man’s right, but legal and moral responsibility, to control his wife’s behavior.
Current Tennessee laws, while improving over the years, reflect norms associated with the Honor Culture. For example, Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-3-620 (a) (1) states that “If a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a criminal offense involving abuse against a family or household member, as defined in 36-3-601, has occurred, the officer shall seize all weapons that are alleged to have been used by the abuser or threatened to be used by the abuser in the commission of a crime.”18 The wording of this particular law does not take weapons from abusers to protect domestic abuse victims as defined in T.C.A. § 36-3-601 (9) (c): “Adults or minors who are dating or who have dated or who have or had a sexual relationship, [as used herein “dating” and “dated” do not include fraternization between two (2) individuals in a business or social context].”19 While now endeavoring to protect the family and spouses of Tennesseans from DV involving weapons, non-cohabitating dating relationships are not equally protected from violent significant others and their weapons. As seen in Table 1, the relationship of the offender to 2007 DV murder victims in Tennessee is often that of a dating relationship3.
Furthermore, the officer is given latitude in deciding whether to arrest any parties in a DV investigation as provided in T.C.A § 36-3-619 (B): “If a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that two (2) or more persons committed a misdemeanor or felony, or if two (2) or more persons make complaints to the officer, the officer shall try to determine who was the primary aggressor. Arrest is the preferred response only with respect to the primary aggressor. The officer shall presume that arrest is not the appropriate response for the person or persons who were not the primary aggressor. If the officer believes that all parties are equally responsible, the officer shall exercise such officer’s best judgment in determining whether to arrest all, any or none of the parties.”20 Arrest is very important for instilling the symbolic message that DV is not socially accepted or condoned by the justice system. In not arresting the perpetrator of DV, the justice system is promoting the British common law idea of DV as a private matter that should be worked out between the parties, as well as providing an opportunity for further abuse. In addition, the 32 DV programs covering 95 counties in the state of Tennessee designed to help DV victims may require legal or police involvement before further measures can be taken. This law may create a latent barrier to victims for safe escape of a DV environment.”
Long, I know; I’m sorry. I left out the areas on religion and perception of jealousy, as well as quantitative testing to keep it somewhat relevant.