More than a dozen Gaston County Jail inmates will get the chance to return home for the holidays as the result of multiple "Christmas miracles" that occurred Friday in Courtroom 4C.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys worked together to bring inmates from the Gaston County Jail into court on the final Superior Court session of the year. These are inmates whose offenses would warrant sentences of either "time served" or probation, but without a little courthouse cooperation would have spent the Christmas season in jail.
"We just had a Christmas miracle," defense attorney Tom Taylor said in court at the conclusion of his client's case. "We've got someone out for Christmas."
Taylor's client had what assistant prosecutor Chad Smith described as a small amount of methamphetamine, made worse by the fact that she had given Mount Holly Police officers a false license number at the time of her arrest. She also was already on probation at the time.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the most serious charge, identification theft, in part because she had given her husband's license information and he was not harmed in the event. A plea arrangement allowed her to plead guilty to drug possession, and Superior Court Judge David Phillips sentenced her to probation and a suspended sentence of 17 months.
"Thank you, thank you," said the woman while wearing a blue jail jumpsuit and shackled by the wrists and ankles.
"They have given you a gift," Phillips told her, "and we want you to take advantage of this gift."
Friday's court session, nicknamed Christmas Court, has become a tradition in Gaston County, Smith said. Offenders do not receive lighter sentences, but they do get a chance to spend time with family at Christmastime.
"We try to get it done before Christmas so they can be home for the holidays," Smith said. "What we're dealing with is not the worst of the worse."
Another offender in Christmas Court on Friday had spent 56 days in jail on charges including fleeing to elude arrest. Gastonia Police had taken him into custody with the help of a Gastonia K9 unit and his arms still showed the scars of bite marks from the altercation.
His attorney told police he had run from officers because he was scared.
"I apologize for everything," the offender told the judge. He admitted guilt after the judge reminded him he would get out of jail that day if he pleaded guilty. Phillips asked that he return his "gift" of getting out of jail by completing probation.
After sentencing, Phillips had a final word for the man before bailiffs escorted him out of court and back to jail.
"Sir, you should get out of jail today," he told him. "Merry Christmas to you."
You can reach Kevin Ellis at 704-201-7016 or email him at Kellis@gastongazette.com. Support local journalism or give the gift of a digital subscription at special pricing by subscribing here.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Christmas miracles occur in Gaston County Courtroom 4C
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