A woman appeared in Baxter County Circuit Court Monday to take a plea on charges against her but sent the process off the rails by seeming to say she was not guilty but wanted to plead guilty anyway.
Circuit Judge John Putman said he did not take guilty pleas from defendants who declared their innocence.
Prosecutor David Ethredge said the state was withdrawing the plea offer made to 39-year-old Chandra Nicole Rodney. “The state is done with this case,” Ethredge told the court, “we have bent over backward to accommodate this defendant and her lawyer and we are finished.”
Rodney who listed an address along Pocahontas Road in Walnut Ridge on court documents, was arrested when the vehicle she was driving was pulled over by a Mountain Home policeman May 14 last year for minor traffic violations, including crossing over the “fog line” twice.
The officer reported Rodney gave permission to search her person and property. He found a pistol and set of brass knuckles in her purse and a black bag hidden under the carpet in the trunk of the vehicle. The bag was reported to contain almost 43 grams of a white crystalline substance, slightly more than 18 grams of marijuana, numerous empty plastic baggies and smoking devices.
When her record was checked, she was shown to be a felon, making it illegal for her to be around or have control of weapons.
In addition to the drugs and weapons seized, the officer also confiscated slightly more than $2,000 from Rodney.
As the facts supporting the charges were read in court Monday, Rodney began to cry, then seemingly began to blame other people, including a relative, as being responsible for some of the items found in the car.
The more she said and cried, the more confusing her position became. After she seemed to say others were responsible, she told the court she would take the fall, but Judge Putman said he would not accept the plea.
An emotional Rodney then began to beg to be allowed to take the plea, but Judge Putman said no. “You are saying you are not guilty and I do not take guilty pleas from people who say they are innocent of the charges against them.”
Rodney continued to ask that she be allowed to complete taking the guilty plea, but Judge Putman said, “I’m not going to change my mind at this point. It’s a long-standing policy of mine not to put innocent people in prison.”
Judge Putman ordered Rodney to reappear November 13 with her attorney who is from Jonesboro. The attorney was involved in a murder trial and not present during Monday’s session.
She said at one point there were items in the plea agreement that confused her. Various officers of the court, including Ethredge, reported being in touch with Rodney’s attorney on Monday and that he said his client was aware of the terms of the plea agreement and had said she would accept it.
It is not known if the state will change its stance toward withdrawing the plea.
Rodney was initially charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of firearms by a felon, possession of drug paraphernalia and with having simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms.
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