TN+property+cases

Two more inmate vandalism cases join docket in Hawkins
By Jeff Bobo Published April 12th, 2010 | 4 Comments David Charles Cole, left, Edward Natul "Chico" Rogers

ROGERSVILLE — About half of the Hawkins County Jail vandalism arraignments, which were postponed last week due to a near-riot breaking out in the jail, were conducted Monday. All the defendants pleaded not guilty. Last Wednesday, substitute Sessions Judge James “Jay” Taylor was set to hear arraignments of 20 jail inmates charged with vandalism inside the jail. The second inmate to appear via video arraignment pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 days in jail consecutive to whatever prison time his original charges may bring. Apparently he was expecting the vandalism punishment to run concurrently to any future sentence. When other inmates facing the same charge found out the sentence was consecutive, they became loud and unruly, forcing Taylor to postpone their arraignments. Sessions Judge David Brand was back on the bench Monday and heard about half of the remaining 18 jail vandalism arraignments, leaving the other half for Wednesday. All those arraigned Monday pleaded not guilty and were set for trial on May 3. And there are two more jail vandalism cases to add to the list. David Charles Cole, 28, 801 W. Broadway St., Rogersville, was originally charged with attempted murder in December. Last month he was additionally charged with felony vandalism for allegedly breaking the sprinkler head in his cell, causing a flood. On Friday, he was again charged with vandalism for allegedly damaging the “pie hole” hatch to his cell door. Also newly charged Friday was Edward Natul “Chico” Rogers, 36, 328 Clifton St., Rogersville, for allegedly damaging a metal stool by slamming it with his cell door. Natul was also facing a previous jail vandalism charge and actually was accused of the committing the second vandalism just prior to his video arraignment last week. Cole and Rogers will be among the group arraigned Wednesday. Court officials believe inmates became irate last week because the consecutive sentence for vandalism places a “hold” on them when they enter the Department of Corrections. Upon completing their prison time they would be returned to the Hawkins County Jail to serve the sentence for vandalism before their release. A hold also adversely affects how they will serve their time with the DOC. “A lot of our prisoners may have felony sentences pending, and some have served time before, which means they’re aware of the fact that a hold will affect how they serve their time in the Department of Corrections,” Assistant Attorney General Doug Godbee told the Times-News last week. “It’s going to reduce their chances of being placed in a minimum-security institution, it’s going to limit the number of privileges they’re entitled to in prison, and it’s going to affect their parole eligibility. They probably thought their vandalism case was going to be concurrent with any other time they receive.”  == // //Scenario: Susan was at school one day and she got mad at the teacher because of the grade she got on a test. She went back to the school after it closed and broke into the teacher’s classroom and painted the walls. The school had to pay 550 dollars to have the room fixed.// //  ==