Opinion ID: 1925118
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Failure to sentence criminals in accordance with statute

Text: The next alleged violations were that Judge Chinn violated § 63-1-57 of the Mississippi Code (driving with a suspended or revoked license) and § 63-11-40 (DUI) when he did not sentence the violator to the minimum 2 days  6 months in jail, as required by statute. This allegation is a technical one, since the jail time could have been suspended. There were eight (8) instances in which this occurred. Further, there were five (5) violations of § 99-19-25 (authorizing justice court judges to suspend in misdemeanor cases) where the judge suspended fines for DUI's. The statute specifically states that fines for violations of the implied consent laws cannot be suspended. In these cases, the State moved for a $250 fine, $90 court costs, and participation in Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program (MASEP). Thereafter, Judge Chinn ordered a $250 fine with $200 suspended. Finally, Judge Chinn is charged with reducing a DUI to a reckless driving charge, resulting in a $250 fine for a motorist as a result of a plea bargain. The maximum fine for reckless driving is $100. Judge Chinn's defense is that he never had read the statutes. He claimed the county attorney was present during all this time, and it was his responsibility to insure that the judge followed the law. He believed that he had the authority to suspend fines, and did so in good faith. He even offered to reimburse the county for the lost fines.