Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[SDAminister]

My own sources are hinting that a plea deal might be near with Tommy Shelton. And note this, you don't make a plea deal if you're innocent! It looks like the end of the line for the lies from the Shelton camp in this regard.

And, it will be interesting to see exactly how the plea breaks down and what kind of sentencing ensues.

Does anyone out there know if judges are more or less lenient if you plead guilty rather than fight something out?

SDAminister

[ex3abnemployee]

That's not the way this will be spun. They're going to say he was forced to plead guilty becuase of the "attacks" he has been under. It's sickening that someone who has caused so much pain can be allowed to drag this out for so long and then cop a deal for his own benefit.

[SDAminister]

Plea deals aren't always a bad thing.

Anybody know if 3ABN itself is involved? Are they going to make a deal with any of those alleging misconduct?

SDAminister

[JustWondering]

My own sources are hinting that a plea deal might be near with Tommy Shelton. And note this, you don't make a plea deal if you're innocent! It looks like the end of the line for the lies from the Shelton camp in this regard.

And, it will be interesting to see exactly how the plea breaks down and what kind of sentencing ensues.

Does anyone out there know if judges are more or less lenient if you plead guilty rather than fight something out?

SDAminister

The BIG question Is there any JAIL TIME included? Or how much JAIL TIME is included?

Below is a post from another topic (Re: Tommy's status hearing today (12-21-2010)) from quite awhile ago that states the charges.

Here's the scoop:

Tommy's trial regarding one victim will be March 7, and will concern:

• 1 count carnal knowledge
• 2 counts custodial indecent liberties

Tommy's trial regarding the other victim will be March 14, and will concern:

• 2 counts aggravated sexual battery

So now two grand jury's have indicted Tommy Shelton of multiple sexual crimes with minors.

A May 7, 2010 Washington Post article stated that a judge found probable cause for the following five felony sex charges:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/06/AR2010050605772.html?sid=ST2010072000019

• 1 count of carnal knowledge (2 to 10 years each)
• 1 count of aggravated sexual battery (1 to 20 years each
• 3 counts of custodial indecent liberties (0 to 5 years)

If found guilty on all charges, Tommy Shelton would face 3 to 45 years in prison.

Later in the month, on May 17, 2010, the first grand jury indicted Tommy Shelton.  However, I do not recall reading the official indictments.  Does anyone know the official indictments of the first grand jury?

Based on Bob Pickle's post, one of the custodial indecent liberties counts has changed to an aggravated sexual battery count.  If Bob has heard correctly, Tommy Shelton would face 4 to 60 years in prison if found guilty on all charges.

Is TS still free on bond?  Does he have to remain in VA until the two March trials?

Pat Williams, can you shed any light on this or are you still having server problems?

Tommy remains out on bail, but he does have to remain in Virginia.  I will state this, I look forward to the trial, and both the prosecutor and us victims are confident in guilty verdicts on all counts at both trials. The other side can twist and turn and say that we are not confident in a victory, but that is not the case.

I will also state that we have informed the prosecutor that we are not interested in any other plea deal being offered.

Note that TS was later allowed to leave VA.

[JustWondering]

That's not the way this will be spun. They're going to say he was forced to plead guilty becuase of the "attacks" he has been under. It's sickening that someone who has caused so much pain can be allowed to drag this out for so long and then cop a deal for his own benefit.

Below is a post from an old topic (Re: Bob Pickle... a Jesuit?) where "they" attempted to spin the last plea deal.  The post also provides a reminder of WHY the last plea deal was rejected.

Reason #1 NO JAIL TIME for Tommy Shelton
Reason #2 NO REMORSE from Tommy Shelton

Sam, are you forgetting that Tommy admitted molesting Alex?

If Alex is as disturbed as you claim, could it not be that Tommy is at least in part to blame?

Which brings up the question: Why are you defending admitted pedophile Tommy Shelton, Sam?

I'm not forgetting anything. Especially the part that professing guilt (whether guilty or not) was part of a plea bargain that the judge didn't accept. So now is a moot point as if it never happened...a lawyer tells me.
(snip)

Sam says: "...a plea bargain that the judge didn't accept"

Let's refresh our memories on why the judge rejected guilty plea agreement.

Fairfax judge rejects plea deal for man who admitted molesting 2 boys
Washington Post Staff Writer, By Tom Jackman; Monday, November 15, 2010

A Fairfax County judge rejected a plea agreement Monday for a former Fairfax church pastor who admitted molesting two boys in the 1990s because the agreement would not have not put the pastor behind bars.

Tommy R. Shelton Jr., 65, pleaded guilty in July to two felony counts of taking indecent
liberties with a child under his supervision.
(snip)
Shelton's attorneys and Fairfax prosecutors agreed to a deal: If Shelton pleaded guilty, he would be placed on probation with no jail or prison time. When the deal was presented to Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Randy I. Bellows, he told both sides, "I may ultimately reject
this agreement."

Then, after reading a sentencing memo Monday from Shelton's attorneys, the judge - a former federal prosecutor in Alexandria - said: "There's no expression of remorse. This submission doesn't even acknowledge that he committed the offense. . . . I've got a plea to two very serious charges that involves no jail time. And on top of it, I've got a defendant that's expressing no remorse, and I've got victims that are willing to participate in the litigation. [Both victims were in court, and one testified Monday.] I'm trying to understand why I would accept this agreement."
(snip)

(bolding of text added)

Judge Bellows rejected the plea agreement because the punishment did not fit the crimes that TS admitted to committing.  There was no jail time and TS did not express ANY remorse.

Judge Bellows saw right through TS's selfish veil.  TS had multiple chances to express true remorse, but according to the judge he did not.  The judge read the sentencing memo submitted by the defense and expected remorse to be expressed, but only read about how hard this experience has been on TS.  The judge had the opportunity to watch TS that day in court and previous dates.  According to the WP article, the judge had the opportunity to watch TS during one of the victim's testimony that day and watch and listen to TS make a statement about how remorseful he was.  Even with all of the opportunities, Judge Bellows saw NO REMORSE.

Sam says: "So now is a moot point as if it never happened..."

Moot point, huh?  Moot point in an earthly court or a moot point according to God?

The judge rejecting the plea agreement did not cause the guilty plea to be withdrawn.  This is left up to the defendant.  After a judge rejects a plea agreement, a defendant has the choice to move forward and let the judge sentence him or her at that time.  Or withdraw the guilty plea and and let a jury decide.

Withdrawing a guilty plea does not mean that the defendant is saying that he or she is not guilty.  This only means that the guilty plea cannot be used by the prosecution and considered by the jury in the following trial.

Sam,  any thoughts on my post above?  I thought you would have responded by now.  Or maybe you do not know how to respond when someone provides facts that dispute what you have claimed.  Did my response hit too close to home?  Why do you think TS has not been able to show any remorse?  One of the WP articles said that he told one of his victims that their past sexual activities were "the type of relationship a father and son had."  Does TS still hold this view?  If so, this may explain why he has not been able to show or express any remorse.

I am interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

[Bob Pickle]

I don't think this time around any plea deal would specify or restrict the sentence. (I could be wrong.) If that proves to be the case, then it would be up to the judge what his sentence might be.

[Snoopy]

That's not the way this will be spun. They're going to say he was forced to plead guilty becuase of the "attacks" he has been under. It's sickening that someone who has caused so much pain can be allowed to drag this out for so long and then cop a deal for his own benefit.

Duane, it sounds like maybe Alex disagrees with you on this??  From the other thread, I get the impression that he is in support of a plea agreement.

I really don't want to see him get a deal.  But obviously I am not a TS victim, and this isn't about what I want...

[Alex L. Walker]

That's not the way this will be spun. They're going to say he was forced to plead guilty becuase of the "attacks" he has been under. It's sickening that someone who has caused so much pain can be allowed to drag this out for so long and then cop a deal for his own benefit.

Duane, it sounds like maybe Alex disagrees with you on this??  From the other thread, I get the impression that he is in support of a plea agreement.

I really don't want to see him get a deal.  But obviously I am not a TS victim, and this isn't about what I want...

Yep. I am in support.

[Bob Pickle]

That's not the way this will be spun. They're going to say he was forced to plead guilty becuase of the "attacks" he has been under. It's sickening that someone who has caused so much pain can be allowed to drag this out for so long and then cop a deal for his own benefit.

Duane, it sounds like maybe Alex disagrees with you on this??  From the other thread, I get the impression that he is in support of a plea agreement.

I really don't want to see him get a deal.  But obviously I am not a TS victim, and this isn't about what I want...

If there's a guilty verdict and it's up to the judge what sentence to give him, there's no telling what might happen.

I haven't heard that Tommy would plead guilty to lesser charges. Just fewer charges.

What's the minimum amount of time that you want to see him do?

[ex3abnemployee]

My answer to that question is better not published publicly

[SDAminister]

Maybe now the Danny clones (as Bob Pickle likes to call them) will also make a plea deal, with the SDA church, for telling their lies.....

Hey, even "Moses" himself (Danny) could plead...

SDAminister

[vestedinterest]

The Clerk's Office reports that a preliminary motion or motions will be heard this Friday, the 20th, at 10:00 AM. in the Dennis Turley case scheduled for Monday.

[Nosir Myzing]

That's not the way this will be spun. They're going to say he was forced to plead guilty becuase of the "attacks" he has been under. It's sickening that someone who has caused so much pain can be allowed to drag this out for so long and then cop a deal for his own benefit.

Duane, it sounds like maybe Alex disagrees with you on this??  From the other thread, I get the impression that he is in support of a plea agreement.

I really don't want to see him get a deal.  But obviously I am not a TS victim, and this isn't about what I want...

Yep. I am in support.

Really?

Why would Alex be in support of a deal which allowed TS to make an Alford plea to reduced charges in regards to DT's case. (Essentially saying I am innocent but the jury will most likely find me guilty so I'll deal with the reduced sentence) and involved the state dropping his own case against TS entirely? Will his civil case against 3ABN end up being dropped or dismissed also?

To review:

[Snoopy]

From the U.S. Supreme Court - a quote from the landmark Alford case from which "The Alford Plea" is derived:

"Nor can we perceive any material difference between a plea that refuses to admit commission of the criminal act and a plea containing a protestation of innocence when, as in the instant case, a defendant intelligently concludes that his interests require entry of a guilty plea and the record before the judge contains strong evidence of actual guilt. Here the State had a strong case of first-degree murder against Alford. Whether he realized or disbelieved his guilt, he insisted on his plea because in his view he had absolutely nothing to gain by a trial and much to gain by pleading. Because of the overwhelming evidence against him, a trial was precisely what neither Alford nor his attorney desired. Confronted with the choice between a trial for first-degree murder, on the one hand, and a plea of guilty to second-degree murder, on the other, Alford quite reasonably chose the latter and thereby limited the maximum penalty to a 30-year term. When his plea is viewed in light [400 U.S. 25, 38]   of the evidence against him, which substantially negated his claim of innocence and which further provided a means by which the judge could test whether the plea was being intelligently entered, see McCarthy v. United States, supra, at 466-467 (1969), 10 its validity cannot be seriously questioned (North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 (1970))"

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cgi-bin/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=400&invol=25

[Snoopy]

That's not the way this will be spun. They're going to say he was forced to plead guilty becuase of the "attacks" he has been under. It's sickening that someone who has caused so much pain can be allowed to drag this out for so long and then cop a deal for his own benefit.

Duane, it sounds like maybe Alex disagrees with you on this??  From the other thread, I get the impression that he is in support of a plea agreement.

I really don't want to see him get a deal.  But obviously I am not a TS victim, and this isn't about what I want...

Yep. I am in support.

I'm willing to bet that Alex knew how this plea deal would play out when he indicated his support for it here.  I believe Alex, regardless of whether or not his criminal case against TS was dropped and in spite of nosurmizer's victory dance here.  Hopefully Alex will fill us in someday.

I find it a bit ironic that nosirmizer is practically tripping over him/herself in excitement and "hahas" over Alex's criminal case being dropped.  But if that was part of the deal, then so be it.  It doesn't change the fact that Mr. Pervert is still in JAIL where he belongs!!!  And Alex still played a MAJOR role in putting him there.  Way to go, Alex!!!