These stories are from a writing assignment during the workshop. The students visited Roanoke Circuit Court and spoke with a judge and lawyers about an actual case. The students did not attend an on-the-record hearing.
By Tiffany Eng and Nephertitti Gray
It is 3 p.m. June 23 and confusion has set in the Roanoke City court.
There are two things missing: the defendant, Prince Darius-Aaron Daniels, and the public-appointed defender, Sarah Timmers.
Daniels, 19, is charged with possessing a firearm on school grounds, a felony. He was expected to plead guilty yesterday based on a prior agreement made by the defense and the prosecution, Commonwealth Attorney Jack Patterson said.
Judge Charles Dorsey, the judge presiding over the case, announced speculation of a misunderstanding between the date given to the defendant by his attorney and the actual date of the case.
Daniels was set to graduate from high school in the spring. Patterson, a prosecutor, is unsure whether Daniels has graduated.
When asked if this type of situation happened often, Dorsey replied that it was an oddity that the court was missing both the defense attorney and defendant.
The new court day is rescheduled for June 28 at 3 p.m.
