A Mountain Home man charged with drug-related offenses made an unusual announcement during his appearance in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Fifty-two-year-old Michael Lawson Bobbitt made the appearance by video hookup from the Baxter County jail.
As soon as his face appeared on the screen in the courtroom, Bobbitt announced in a loud voice that he was “invoking the rule, the rule that encompasses all rules.”
No one knew exactly what Bobbitt was referring to and he offered no further explanation of “the rule.”
Invoking his “all encompassing rule” did not stop his arraignment from continuing. He pled not guilty to the charges against him.
Bobbitt was arrested September 13 when a Mountain Home police officer stopped a vehicle in which Bobbitt was a passenger for having an expired license plate.
Drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in the car being driven by 38-year-old Robin Lynn Smith of Norfork.
Bobbitt and Smith were checked into the jail just before 4 a.m.
During the booking process, an Alprazolam pill was found in the room where incoming inmates change into jail uniforms. The probable cause affidavit reports the pill was found immediately after Bobbitt had been in the room.
The room had been checked before Bobbitt used it to change, according to the probable cause affidavit.
Bobbitt faces drug-related charges and a charge stemming from bringing contraband into the jail.
Smith and Bobbitt have similar charges. Bond for each is set at $10,000.
Smith is not charged with bringing contraband into the jail.
In March last year, Bobbitt also got in trouble while being booked into the jail on a disorderly conduct charge.
He was reported to have been unruly during the booking process.
After he was put into a holding cell, Bobbitt was reported to have used his artificial leg to break the glass in the cell.
His charges stemming from that incident were misdemeanors.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI