Ron's possible plea deal?

[Concerned Papa]

This is an interesting video from inside the courtroom including interviews with TN and GGM afterwards. TN says she's supposed to call "John" (Detective John Merchant) and GGM says Ron cried for a week before Father's day.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/video...l Delayed for Possible Plea Deal/167703838001

 

[Donjeta]

Great posts, everyone. I don't know if I can get past thinking that if RC is sitting on some information that could seal Misty's fate in the Haleigh case and he gets ten years off the drugs case in exchange for it it's not right... If her father could have helped solve the case a long time ago and didn't, until it could benefit him somehow, that's just plain wrong.

 

[twall]

I think you are misinterpreting what was stated. Shoemaker stated that the 2 charges would be dropped and the plea would be on the 3 remaining charges. That is all part of the deal they are working on right now.

Another words Ronald will be sentenced on the 3 remaining charges. The trafficking charges will be dropped.

I'm not following-all of Ron's charges are for trafficking so there is no way they can all be dropped. Unless the remaining three are pled down to possession?

Shoemaker is repeating the same story about the plea as he did in May.

 

[MADJGNLAW]

Hmm, the way this reads maybe Ron has some info on Haleigh? Or am I just hoping?

Cummings plea deal takes shape
Plea date for Cummings on Aug. 20 at 11 a.m.

By Kristin Chambers
Published: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
"Snip" http://www.palatkadailynews.com/arti...ews/news01.txt

Officials discussed a plea agreement to drop two of the five trafficking charges.


"He would plead to the three lesser charges," defense Terry Shoemaker said. "And part of the plea agreement is that he would plead guilty."

Shoemaker is hoping Ronald Cummings will only receive 15 years after the plea deal is made with the state, with the two higher charges - which would mandate a 25-year minimum sentence - dropped.

That would happen Shoemaker said, in exchange "for giving all information he has regarding everything and anything they ask him."

Shoemaker could not specify what that would entail, but he said that it would encompass, "everything that is pending throughout the whole year and a half."Cummings would also give "substantial assistance" in the narcotics case and testify against Misty Croslin if she goes to trial on the drug charges.


Despite the Haleigh Cummings case being labeled a homicide, the Cummings family still holds hope that Haleigh is alive. Cummings is not considered a suspect in his daughter's disappearance.



"I think that he believes that law enforcement is heading down the right track," Shoemaker said. "Who all is involved, he doesn't know."


LaRue set the plea date for Cummings for Aug. 20 at 11 a.m.

 

[MADJGNLAW]

Cummings’ drug case plea might mean testifying against Misty
He has made an offer to plea in three of five drug charges.
Posted: July 19, 2010
"Snip" http://m.jacksonville.com/news/crim...ings-father-reaches-tentative-plea-drug-cases

By Dana Treen
PALATKA — A plea in the prescription drug-trafficking case of Ronald Cummings, would be squarely aimed at co-defendant Misty Croslin, her attorney said following a court hearing for Cummings Monday.

Robert Fields said Cummings’ offer to make a plea in three of five drug charges in exchange for dropping the other two meant he will likely testify against Croslin, who also was arrested in the undercover drug bust.
“Ronald’s obviously cutting a deal to testify against her,” Fields said.


Cummings’ attorney and prosecutor Jason Lewis asked Judge LaRue for a month to work out details.


Two of the charges are for amounts of prescription drugs that carry a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years. Two others mandate 15-year sentences and one requires a three-year sentence.


Haleigh has not been found, and Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy has said he believes she is dead.
Fields said the questioning of co-defendants and the threat of them testifying against his client puts more pressure on Croslin but won’t have an impact on the defense. He said Croslin has told detectives what she knows about Haleigh’s disappearance.

“If they don’t want to act on that, that’s their decision,” he said.



Cummings’ mother, grandmother and sister were among those in the courtroom Monday.

Annette Sykes, said the family was hoping for the best. She said she was not aware of any plea details.

“We want what’s best for Ronald,” she said.

 

[krkrjx]

If Misty does not go to trial, what would it mean for Ron's deal? I think it could mean he would get 15 years just for saying he passed his poly, Misty passed her poly, and he doesn't know anything because he was at werk. He will simply make the same statements he made before only it will be to the SA this time...not even under oath most likely.

So, RC gets his 15 years, minus time served (which by the time this all goes down could be the better part of a year) and then is free as a bird after serving 85%.

OK then...not much that can be done about it. The situation is what it is.

Poor Haleigh

 

[twall]

If Ron has info. on Haleigh and chooses to use it now to save his own arse that is the most rotten, dirty, down low, despicable thing for a father to do!
I will never believe he has nothing to do with her disappearance and whatever he says against Misty will be all lies. Here we go, round 2, this time it is Ron's turn to tell lies instead of Tommy.
AH said on the JVM show last night no rope or cinder blocks were found during the Shell Harbour search and Tommy was out of it on Xanex that night. HUH? If he was so out of it how can he recall anything at all?

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL
Aired July 19, 2010 - 19:00:00 ET

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, is Ron Cummings about to put the squeeze on his ex-wife Misty? Ron, whose little daughter, Haleigh, has been missing for nearly a year and a half, was supposed to stand trial today on a slew of drug-trafficking charges, but in a head-spinning development, Ron`s attorney announced they are this close to a plea deal now.

So does this mean double trouble for Misty? Misty was baby-sitting Haleigh the night the 5-year-old vanished. Misty`s own lawyer says he believes Ron is cutting a deal in his drug case in exchange for testifying against Misty, who`s also facing drug charges that could land her in prison for decades.

Straight out to Art Harris, investigative journalist and founder of ArtHarris.com.

Art, is this really all about the drugs, or are prosecutors turning up the heat on Misty because they still think she could tell more about what happened to little Haleigh?

ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: They have squeezed this orange, and Misty says she`s been squeezed as far as it goes but that`s exactly what it is, Jane. They are trying to keep putting pressure on her.

Actually, they have tentatively agreed to a plea deal with Ronald, but they will not sentence him until after Misty`s trial. She`s scheduled to go on trial there in Putnam County August 22. He`ll be back in court August 20.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, what`s the significance of him having to wait? In other words, they waiting to see what he says about her on the stand?

HARRIS: Exactly. Part of this plea deal, pleading to three counts of 15 years versus a 25-year drug-trafficking charge, means that they want to wait and see how cooperative he is going to be in helping them in not just the drug case. They don`t need him for the drug case. They`ve got videotapes. They want him for Haleigh, anything he can do to help them there. They`re going to wait and see. And then they`ll sentence him after Misty goes on trial.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Back in April comes dragged Misty out of jail. They schlepped her down to the banks of the St. John`s River. Days later Misty`s grandma told me here on ISSUES what Misty had told her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FLORA HOLLARS, MISTY`S GRANDMOTHER: She called me on Monday to let me know that Tommy and Joe had wrapped Misty -- I mean wrapped Haleigh in a yellow rope and tied a brick to it and throwed [SIC] her off a dock in the St. John`s River.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Tommy and Joe insist they did not do that, and neither of them have been charged with that. Nobody has been charged. Haleigh`s body hasn`t been found despite repeated searches. So Art Harris, was this all a big dead end? We were so hopeful when we saw this activity that we`d finally learn what happened in this mysterious case.

HARRIS: Well, at the time, Jane, Tommy told the cops that he was in the van with Joe when he took Haleigh, that he passed out, he was on drugs, taking Xanax, and he doesn`t know what Joe did with her but says he did dump her in the river.

Now, no body has been recovered. And I know that law enforcement is very frustrated with Tommy, because he basically pointed out where they should search the river, and they didn`t find a body there, Jane. Now, anything could have happened to that body. It`s got swift currents. It`s got alligators. And we don`t know. They have not found the yellow rope nor that cinderblock.

So this is something that is yet to be determined. They`re calling it a murder but don`t have a body.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s absolutely fascinating that this little -- little teenager has managed to really perplex and mystify all of these seasoned investigators and that we still do not have the straight story after more than a year and a half of what happened to this precious girl.

Thank you, Art Harris. Come back soon.

HARRIS: Thanks, Jane.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1007/19/ijvm.01.html

 

[lorann]

Hmm, the way this reads maybe Ron has some info on Haleigh? Or am I just hoping?

My question would be what info could he share with LE that he couldn't have shared earlier? The only info that wouldn't mean withholding would be something he learned while being in jail. I know you don't have the answer to that question, I just don't have faith in any of these last ditch efforts to save their sorry behinds.

 

[suspicious1]

My question would be what info could he share with LE that he couldn't have shared earlier? The only info that wouldn't mean withholding would be something he learned while being in jail. I know you don't have the answer to that question, I just don't have faith in any of these last ditch efforts to save their sorry behinds.

BBM
Lorann, I'm with you on that one. Why now? Ron is full of it. I don't think he gained information while being in jail, Ron has known all along what happened to Haleigh. JMO

 

[raisincharlie]

BBM
Lorann, I'm with you on that one. Why now? Ron is full of it. I don't think he gained information while being in jail, Ron has known all along what happened to Haleigh. JMO

I agree.

 

[SoSueMe]

IF this was the deal, then why do they need another month to mull it over?

IMO, I don't think RC accepted the deal until right before court yesterday. I also don't think the judge would have agreed to a continuance unless the state was in agreement, so some sort of tentative deal was reached. Perhaps they are haggling over how much time will be served or perhaps both sides want the plea spelled out in writing.

I don't think RC had any intention of taking this to trial. He bluffed all the way to wire, but I'm pretty certain he knew he would have to accept whatever the state was offering at the final hour.

Do you see any prep work for a trial on RC's criminal docket? Any depositions taken? The only thing I saw was a little discovery, which could have been the police reports and videos for his attorney to review. Also, who comes prepared for trial in prison blues? No way would Shoemaker let his client be seen in prison blues even for voir dire, it's too prejudicial.

 

[SoSueMe]

Everyone keeps saying and reporting that RC will be last in court, but if RC's date is 8/20 and Misty's date is 8/23, how does that make RC last? Am I missing something?

 

[tehcloser]

This is an interesting video from inside the courtroom including interviews with TN and GGM afterwards. TN says she's supposed to call "John" (Detective John Merchant) and GGM says Ron cried for a week before Father's day.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/video...l Delayed for Possible Plea Deal/167703838001

BBM

Thanks Papa, I'm glad to know he was there at the trial. (John) I also find it utterly fascinating that Hank and Lisa Croslin were there. Very interesting.....

 

[raisincharlie]

Everyone keeps saying and reporting that RC will be last in court, but if RC's date is 8/20 and Misty's date is 8/23, how does that make RC last? Am I missing something?

Just my suspicion - Ron may go to court on the 20th but there will be no sentencing until after Misty and Tommy have had their cases tried and determined. The aledged plea deal will basically insure his sentence will be handled afterwords in an effort to insure Ron upholds his end of the plea deal.

 

[SoSueMe]

Has anyone ever thought about the possibility prosecutors didn't want to take it to trial, just in a case a jury didn't want to convinct him, simply because they seen him on TV and fell for his little crying jag act?

I think this is always a possibility with a jury (the sympathy vote). Plus, what could prosecutors expect in the way of a conviction? Could they hope for more than 15 years with a jury? If RC agrees to the 15-25, why not go with that and save the taxpayers money and not tie up the courts?

I know it sucks. JMO

 

[SoSueMe]

A few months back, several news articles also stated that a deal WAS reached in Ron's case. I think I'll wait to see it in print--on the docket.

What a bunch of chit. :furious:

True and I especially agree with your last statement. I'm just going on the fact that the judge denied a motion for continuance in the recent past, but yesterday he agreed to it. I don't think he would have done that unless the state gave the court some indication that a plea was imminent.

Rather than quoting attorneys, I wish there was a bonafide news source that would report the facts of this case! Was there not one reporter in that courtroom that heard what actually went down?

 

[SoSueMe]

Just my suspicion - Ron may go to court on the 20th but there will be no sentencing until after Misty and Tommy have had their cases tried and determined. The aledged plea deal will basically insure his sentence will be handled afterwords in an effort to insure Ron upholds his end of the plea deal.

So you're saying he will go to court on 8/20, change his plea and then the judge sets a future date for sentencing? Sounds about right. :banghead:

 

[Amster]

This is an interesting video from inside the courtroom including interviews with TN and GGM afterwards. TN says she's supposed to call "John" (Detective John Merchant) and GGM says Ron cried for a week before Father's day.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/video...l Delayed for Possible Plea Deal/167703838001

Very interesting....isn't John Merchant Ronalds buddy? Also, looked to me like Hank Sr. hopped up and walked to the front to...what? Say something to Ronald? Intimidate him? Very odd...

 

[rileysmom]

BBM

Thanks Papa, I'm glad to know he was there at the trial. (John) I also find it utterly fascinating that Hank and Lisa Croslin were there. Very interesting.....

I wonder why they keep bringing up this detectives name?

 

[Amster]

Obviously, there were cameras in the courtroom....why won't the media just let us see what was said for ourselves?? I want to know what the DA and the attorney said.....grrrrrrrrrrr :banghead: