Judge declares mistrial on Mangum's (DukeLax 'stripper') felony arson charge

Raleigh News and Observer ^ | December 17, 2010 | Jesse James Deconto

[abb]

Superior Court Judge Abe Jones has declared a mistrial on the felony arson charge in the Crystal Mangum trial. The jury was split 9-3.

The jury was unanimous regarding the misdemeanor charges. Mangum was found guilty on three counts of child abuse, one for injury to personal property and one for resisting arrest.

During today's proceedings, former Durham city councilwoman and school board member Jackie Wagstaff was jailed for ten days for contempt of court in the Crystal Mangum arson trial.

She was charged with contempt after saying "This is ridiculous" while the judge was ordering the jury back into deliberation after two days of being split on Mangum's felony arson charge. Jones also ordered her to pay a $200 fine.

Jones heard the comment directly but didn't know who said it, and threatened 30 days of jail time for anyone making any further outbursts.

But bailiff Staci Ottoway identified Wagstaff as the person. Jones then called Ottoway to testify to that under oath and called for public defender Lawrence Campbell, whose office is across the hall from the courtroom, to represent Wagstaff before the judge took any action against her.

Campbell then called Wagstaff to the witness stand. Wagstaff apologized to the judge and said she made the comment as part of an ongoing conversation with fellow Mangum supporter Victoria Peterson.

snip

[abb]

This just in.

[abb]

ping

[abb]

http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story/10709687/article-Jackie-Wagstaff-sent-to-jail-for-contempt-at-Mangum-trial?instance=breaking_news
Jackie Wagstaff sent to jail for contempt at Mangum trial

[jagusafr]

A judge with guts. Good. I always start my spiel at docket with “unless you really piss off the judge [me], nobody’s going to jail today”. Nobody’s pressed me on it yet.

Colonel, USAFR

[Gabrial]

What a real class act. /s

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/02/18/2010-02-18_crystal_gail_mangum_stripper_in_duke_lacrosse_rape_case_charged_with_arson_and_a.html

[WaterBoard]

Jackie Wagstaff sure is a colorful character in addition to being a supporter of an arsonist and child abuser.

She survived a 2002 effort to remove her from office after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor counts for doctoring check requests from the nonprofit North East Central Durham Reinvestment Inc., a city-financed social services organization she ran. She also has been evicted several times for nonpayment of rent.

Her campaign openly refers to her "run-ins with the law" and embraces the tag that she is "too gangsta for government." She bills herself as the only candidate with the street credibility to solve the city's problems with gang violence and school dropouts.

[WaterBoard]

This is the woman (left) Victoria Peterson who Ms. Wagstaff was talking to.

Watch as she walks into a tv broadcast and interjects herself during the Nifong trial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxx34uHX3uQ

[Maverick68]

False rape allegations should carry a 10 year minimum.
Ms. Mangum would have been a great first for this offense...

[abb]

Yes, I remember that well.

[JLS]

I I I I I I I I I I I

You sound like a typical judge who thinks he is the people and the law rather than representing the people and the law. Contempt is contempt court not contempt of egotistical judge. That is contempt of the authority we people have TEMPORARILY given to you to represent us in enforcing the will of the majority as encoded in the law. You should be ashame to have ever thought:

“I always start my spiel at docket with “unless you really piss off the judge [me], nobody’s going to jail today”.”

no less typed it on a public forum.

You sir are the kind of tyrant our founders rebelled against.

[goat granny]

she did one good deed, got rid of a corrupt prosecutor, although that was not what she wanted... Nifong...gone

[abb]

Even now, they are trying to get his license to practice law reinstated.

[goat granny]

hope not, he is a scum bag..

[sionnsar]

You sound like a typical judge who thinks he is the people and the law rather than representing the people and the law. Contempt is contempt court not contempt of egotistical judge. That is contempt of the authority we people have TEMPORARILY given to you to represent us in enforcing the will of the majority as encoded in the law. You should be ashame to have ever thought:
“I always start my spiel at docket with “unless you really piss off the judge [me], nobody’s going to jail today”.”
no less typed it on a public forum.
You sir are the kind of tyrant our founders rebelled against.

JLS, I am in full concurrence EXCEPT:
1) I've read jagusafr's posts before and he hasn't sounded like an arrogant judge (in fact I did not know until now that he is a judge)
2) It's all about how he considers his responsibilities. Would it have been better if he had used "the court" instead of "the judge [me]"? More formal perhaps (and to jagusafr I might suggest this change -- speaking strictly as a layman), but no significant difference. It's really all about how he exercises the authority we entrust in him, though the statement sounds bad to both you and me.

I prefer to judge a judge on his decisions and rulings, rather than on prefatory comments meant to keep order in a court that has presumably experienced enough disorder to require such warnings.

[FreedomPoster]

That’s excellent right there. Kudos to the judge.

[Ready4Freddy]

Another nugget from Wagstaff, courtesy of D-i-W:

And here's a remarkable update from the twitter feed of H-S reporter Matthew Milliken, who covered the trial (Wednesday): "Jackie Wagstaff [a race-baiting former school board member, and outspoken Nifong supporter] overheard during recess: 'They are not understanding the nature of the black household.'

Which, I guess means that in the "black household" the occassional 'tune-up' is to be expected. Or that setting fire to clothes in a tub is simply called a 'BBQ'...

[abb]

Some updates.

http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story_news_durham/10711742/article-Mangum-free-after-felony-mistrial?instance=main_article
Mangum free after felony mistrial

http://www.heraldsun.com/view/full_story_news_durham/10711720/article-Ex-City-Councilwoman-Wagstaff-jailed?instance=main_article
Ex-City Councilwoman Wagstaff jailed

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/12/18/868989/crystal-mangum-freed-after-jury.html
Crystal Mangum freed after jury deadlocks

[jagusafr]

JLS - my profound apologies if my post came across as arrogant. I like for the people who attend the court over which I have the privilege of presiding both to understand that the judge is a human with a sense of humor and to recognize that the court is an arm of the constitution and worthy of respect.

sionnsar - thank you for providing the caveat and recognizing the context.

Colonel, USAFR

[TommyDale]

Is Wagstaff one of the “potbangers”?

[abb]

One of the originals.

http://liestoppers.blogspot.com/2007/02/news-of-weird.html

Tuesday, February 20, 2007
News of the Weird

It’s Mike Nifong Appreciation Week in Durham.
.
While banks, some schools, a few businesses, the post office, and many other government agencies were closed yesterday in honor of Presidents Day, a new tribute was launched in Durham in celebration of disgraced DA Mike Nifong. At a luncheon yesterday to kick off “Prosecutorial Misconduct Week,” Defendant Nifong applauded the event’s organizers, Victoria Peterson and Jackie Wagstaff, for being in touch with reality unlike his critics, who it should be noted include the North Carolina State Bar, the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, members of the NC General Assembly and the US Congress, and other “hecklers” from coast to coast.