A Carroll County woman was sentenced to 90 days in jail suspended, contingent upon she not be involved in another disturbance at the Carroll County Courthouse in Vaiden for one year.
Jackie McKinney went before Montgomery County Justice Court Judge Larry Bamberg in the Southern District Carroll County Justice Court in Vaiden. McKinney was charged with disturbing the peace, filed by Circuit Deputy clerks, Christy Noah and Mary Lofton, in two separate cases.
On the same day, McKinney filed charged against Jay Ferguson.
All charges were filed following an incident that took place in the circuit clerk’s office on February 11.
Southern District Judge Tinesha Erve-Earnest recused herself from hearing the case due to her tenure spent as deputy clerk at the courthouse in Vaiden before being elected to the bench could be a conflict of interest. Bamberg was asked to hear the case.
Bamberg dismissed the case against Ferguson citing McKinney as the aggressor and the person who initated contact.
Deputy Clerk Christy Noah testified that the number of disruptions McKinney has caused in the clerk’s office just accumulated and been ongoing for quite some time. She said that McKinney is “disruptive and mean,” and she “bullies” the clerks until it is difficult for them to perform their official duties.
“She’s been to our office 57 times,” Noah said. “One day, she came 11 times.”
“What’s your capacity at the courthouse,” Bamberg asked McKinney.
“I’m a writer. I write a newsletter for Carroll County citizens,” McKinney said.
“So, you don’t have one,” Bamberg said.
McKinney rebutted that she had not been in the office 57 times, and during the incident in question she only came twice.
“You know what I’ve heard enough,” Bamberg said. “I’m ready to rule. Mrs. McKinney, it is a public place, but you do not have the right to be disruptive or to have a place in their office. You’ll have to find some other way to do your journalistic work.
I find that you were in fact disturbing the peace, and I sentence you to 90 days in jail, suspended contingent upon the fact that there are no other incidents for a period of one year from today’s date. I know you don’t want to go to jail, and I’m putting your fate in your own hands,” Bamberg said.
