COURTWATCH For 20th Judicial Circuit Houston and Henry County

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: Matt Boster
[email protected]
334-790-1729
Date: Feb 05 2019 8:53 AM

DOTHAN:     These court cases are scheduled in the 20th Judicial Circuit in Houston and Henry County Alabama:

HONORABLE HOUSTON COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE BENJAMIN LEWIS each morning has initial appearances. These are people who have not made bond. They are required to be seen by a Judge or Magistrate within 48 to 72 hours "of their arrest". Judge Lewis follows the law enven when on holidays he or another Judge comes to the Houston County Jail for the initial appearances.

These persons are seen via a TV screen from the jail to the courtroom.

Dothan Municipal Court is under the same requirements.

Dothan Municipal Court Judge Rose Paulnetta Evans Gordon refused to do her six figure job and did not hold these hearings as required by law. It resulted in the City of Dothan Paying $ 42,500.00 to Anthony Cooper in a Federal Law Suit and establishing a catch and release program. Persons now beat the Dothan Police Officers out of the jail when arrested.

All because the second highest paid Dothan City Official, Municipal Court Judge Rose Paulnetta Evans Gordon was to lazy to do her job.

We have no dockets for the Dothan Municipal Court. They are public record but operate in secret.

Following the Initial Appearances Judge Lewis will move into District Criminal Cases.

HONORABLE HOUSTON COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE BENJAMIN LEWIS enters into a District Criminal Docket with 69 cases on the docket. These cases are status call cases where persons have been arrested and the court is checking the status of their cases. The offenses range from Financial Exploitation of the Elderly, Possession of Forged Instrument, Burglary and cases of this nature.

HONORABLE 20th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE BUTCH BINFORD has a docket of 32 cases of Circuit Criminal. These cases include Jury Trials from District Court to Circuit Court. These cases are misdemeanor cases such as Reasonable and Prudent Speed to other felony cases.

Today Judge Binford will begin a Capital Murder trial in the case of Joshua Steven Nance. He was arrested on November 17, 2016 by the Houston County Sheriff Department on a murder which occurred on or about November 16, 2016. 

Nance is being represented by Dothan Attorney Shaun McGhee. Nance is charged with the shooting death of Paxton Wayne Kennedy on January 4, 2016. Nance is accused of shooting Kennedy in the head with a 380 caliber firearm and shot Kennedy while he was in a vehicle. 

If convicted Nance could face the death penalty.

This case could go into the weekend because Judge Binford is scheduled be a roving Judge and in a trial in another county next week. Jury selection begins this morning.

HONORABLE DISTRICT COURT JUDGE LORI COLLIER INGRAM has a docket for Child Support cases. There are 27 cases scheduled before Judge Ingram. From the Child Support docket Judge Ingram moves into Domestic Relations cases. There are 4 cases scheduled to be heard before Judge Ingram. Those cases are 3 Contempt, a final hearing.

HONORABLE 20th JUDICIAL CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE LARRY K. ANDERSON has a Circuit Criminal docket of 18 cases scheduled. These cases range from Attempt Assault, Resisting arrest. Arson, Child Endangerment, and etc.

HENRY COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE DEREK PETERSON has 52 cases before his court today at 1:30 PM. These cases are preliminary hearings on felony cases.

Judge Peterson has  a traffic docket set of 189 cases set both at 9:00 AM and 1:30 PM. These cases include such cases as Driving While Suspended, Speeding, Following to close and etc.  These are primarily cases made by the Alabama State Troopers.

These are for Tuesday February 5, 2019. We will update Monday.

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