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Alabama’s Supreme Court recently issued a stay of execution for a convicted murderer. According to a news report, the stay was granted at the request of Robert Bryant Melson, who received a death sentence in the robbery-murder of three employees of an East Gadsden Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuit restaurant in 1994. As a Birmingham criminal defense lawyer, I have the experience to represent individuals charged with crimes such as grand larceny, assault and murder or manslaughter.

Being an Alabama criminal attorney, I hold that every person accused of a violent crime or other criminal offense is innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. This is everyone’s constitutional right and I adhere to this important rule of law. According to the news article, the execution was to be held on February 18, but has now been delayed to await the outcome of a case being considered by the United States Supreme Court.

The 38-year-old Melson was originally convicted for the slayings of restaurant employees Nathaniel Baker, 17, Tamika Collins, 18, and Darrell Collier, 23. According to reports, a fourth employee, Bryant Archer, was the only survivor of the shootings when Melson and an accomplice, Cuhuatemoc Hinricy Peraita, robbed the restaurant in April 15 of that year. Based on court records of the incident, Archer was also shot during the robbery but survived the ordeal.

Melson’s stay was granted by the Alabama Supreme Court at Melson's request so that he and his attorney could to hear the outcome of a Florida case that is currently being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court. That case reportedly involves an issue similar to Melson's case, which revolves around whether petitions were filed in a timely manner.

This stay would appear to be Melson’s last chance, since records indicate that he exhausted his final appeal last October when it was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Alabama Supreme Court stays Melson's execution, GadsdenTimes.com, January 27, 2010

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A registered sex offender was arrested on June 30 in Town Creek, Alabama, as a result of neighbors’ allegations that children were staying with him. The 47-year-old was remanded to the Lawrence County Jail recently with bail set at $15,000. Charged with adult criminal sex offender-prohibited residence, Stephen Wayne Caldwell must now arrange for a new place to live -- the location of his home, according to police reports, was in violation of Alabama laws governing persons convicted of sex crimes.

Having spent my career as a Birmingham, AL, criminal defense lawyer, I know a great deal about sex crimes defense and the penalties that convicted sex offenders typically face. I make every effort to provide an aggressive defense for individuals accused of sex crimes, but a person must also make an effort to improve their situation going forward. In this instance, the man apparently did not follow the rules set by the State of Alabama and register his residence with authorities -- this is a requirement for persons convicted of a sex crime.

Previously convicted in a Kentucky federal court for possession and distribution of child pornography back in 1997, Caldwell has about six weeks to submit a new address to Alabama law enforcement, which is required for all convicted sex offenders living in this state. More importantly, he may end up facing additional legal complications due to allegations that his roommate’s children were staying in the same residence with him. But this remains to be determined.

In any case, I always recommend that anyone accused of a crime should seek the services of a qualified and experienced criminal attorney. The state has a great deal of resources, which is why you need to have a tough litigator on your side.

Registered sex offender arrested after kids spend night at house, TimesDaily.com, July 9, 2009

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A Tuscaloosa, AL, resident was recently sentenced by a Birmingham court to more than 27 years in prison for two sex crime charges. Prince Knight, 38, had been convicted in March of this year for one count of travel with intent to engage in sexual conduct and a second count of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

According to reports, Knight was sentenced on June 10 by Judge L. Scott Coogler to 327 months imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of “supervised release.” Once released from jail, Knight must also register as a sex offender. He also has been ordered not to have unsupervised contact with any child less than 18 years of age.

The crime that initiated the charges occurred in January 2008 and involved Knight traveling from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Manhattan, Kansas, for the alleged purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a 15-year-old child. Knight reportedly picked up the child in Kansas and brought her back to his apartment in Tuscaloosa.

This is a sad case because the defendant worked as a cafeteria attendant at a local Tuscaloosa elementary school. The charges during the period in question, regardless of the outcome in court, surely would have haunted him for many years -- such is the misfortune of those accused of a sex crime. As it turns out, the guilty verdict sealed his fate. Many of the clients I represent as a Birmingham criminal defense attorney are already in a tough spot, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the most aggressive defense possible.

In this case, the defendant already had the deck stacked against him. The prosecution called on his supervisor from the elementary school where he worked to testify that Knight called in sick on a Monday, but then showed up for work the very next day. Meanwhile, the 15-year-old girl he brought back to Alabama had left a note for her parents indicating that she had run away to visit her biological father in California.

Police subsequently located and retrieved the child in Tuscaloosa about a week later. The case involved the Riley County Police Department in Kansas, the Tuscaloosa County Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Being accused of any crime is serious, but with sex crimes involving minors, law enforcement is especially dogged in its efforts to bring the accused to justice. If you or someone you care about is in this type of situation, you should seek a qualified legal professional to handle your case as soon as possible.

Tusc. school cafeteria worker sentenced in child sex scheme, NBC13.com, June 11, 2009

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Cullman County -- Police recently arrested a man for allegedly operating a meth lab at his home in Hanceville, AL. Billy Floyd Norris apparently called police to report some stolen property. When officers arrived, the 33-year-old man told them that that his roommates had robbed him. Police could not verify that a robbery had occurred, however they did discover traces of drugs on the premises, as well as evidence of an active methamphetamine lab. The Cullman Narcotics Enforcement Team took samples to positively identify the seized chemicals and drugs. Norris was charged with manufacturing and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. He was incarcerated at the Cullman County Detention Center on $1 million bond.

Franklin County -- A Russellville woman has been accused of raping a 13-year-old boy, according to authorities. Ashley Turner, 24, was indicted by a grand jury in May for allegedly having an extended sexual relationship with the boy at his home during 2008. The boy’s parents reportedly did not find out until after the relationship had been ongoing for some time. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office said Turner and the boy are friends and that the boy consented to the sexual relationship. Legally the boy is too young to consent -- therefore a charge of second-degree rape has been lodged against Turner. This is a Class B felony that carries a prison sentence of two to 20 years.

Madison County -- A resident of Harvest, Alabama, was arrested recently for attempting to pass a counterfeit $100 bill at a Madison McDonald's restaurant. According to reports, police arrested James Michael Cook on June 8 after an employee reported the incident to police. A preliminary investigation led authorities to find $6,200 in counterfeit $100s in Cook's possession. In a subsequent search, Madison police and the U.S. Secret Service located and seized an additional $9,700 in counterfeit $100 bills. Cook has been charged with first-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and is being held in the Madison County jail on $20,000 bond.

Mobile County -- Authorities say that Stanley "Red" Harris was charged June 12 with capital murder in the death of 41-year-old Karen Tillman, who was shot to death during a robbery in Grand Bay. The Mobile County sheriff's office said it was unclear what type of relationship Harris had with Tillman or why the two were traveling together when the shooting occurred during the evening of June 11. According to reports, Tillman got out of the vehicle and was picked up by a passer-by who drove her to a nearby home. Deputies called to the scene of the shooting said that the victim named Harris as her attacker before she died. Harris was arrested at his grandmother's house in Irvington and is currently being held in the Mobile County Metro Jail without bail.

Man reports robbery, police find working meth lab, TheNewsCourier.com, June 15, 2009

Metro Breifs, AL.com, June 13, 2009
 

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A former Enterprise High School coach was recently acquitted of sex-related criminal charges out of state, but now he faces similar charges in Coffee County, Alabama. According to the Enterprise Police Department, 41-year-old Bubba Guy Nall is suspected of incest in 2006. Individuals can be charged with incest if they allegedly have sexual relations with a blood relative or even an adopted relative.

Enterprise investigators had interviewed the alleged victim in Florida, where the suspect was recently acquitted on similar charges. According to reports, the victim said she and Mr. Nall had sex multiple times while she was visiting the man in Alabama. Gary McAliley, the Coffee County district attorney in charge of the case, chose to have Nall arrested on one count of incest and then presented the remaining counts to a grand jury.

According to authorities, the Alabama grand jury met back in October 2007 and indicted Nall on seven counts of incest. Now that the man has been acquitted in Florida, Alabama is ready to try him here at home.

As a Birmingham criminal defense lawyer, I provide a very aggressive defense for all of my clients, especially to those accused of sex crimes. Society is in no way lenient when it comes to suspected sex offenders. The latest reports of this particular case show just how persistent the authorities can be in regard to sex-related offenses. There are always two sides to any story, but this type of case sometimes comes down to one person's word against the other's. This is why anyone accused of a sex crime deserves to have an experienced legal professional represent them in a court of law.

Although Mr. Nall was recently found not guilty of molestation charges in Levy County, Florida, he will have to stand trial in Coffee County soon. McAliley has already said that Nall’s acquittal on three counts of sexual battery on a child between the ages of 12 and 18 will have no influence on the Alabama case. McAliley said his office has different evidence against Nall than that found in Florida.

If you or a family member is accused of a crime, do yourself a favor and retain the services of qualified criminal defense attorney to handle your case. Criminal prosecution is serious business and you need an aggressive lawyer on your side.
 

Former EHS coach acquitted, Zwire.com, June 3, 2009

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