AL Judge's Drug Dealing Son, Alex Rochester, Walks Free

Last year I brought my readers the story of John Alexander Rochester who is the son of hanging Judge John Rochester of Alabama's 41st Circuit Court.

To refresh everyone's memory young Mr. Alex Rochester was busted in the Ashland City Park on March 1, 2008 and charged with trafficking drugs. The drugs he was charged with trafficking are as follows; Cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, ecstacy, meth and xanax.

The last we heard Alex Rochester had been ferried away, under his mothers skirts, to a posh treatment center called The Arbor where he was to remain for a year. Young Rochester's MySpace page states that he is currently in college. His Facebook page doesn't contain much but you can see a picture of him there.

Yesterday I was able to come by John Alexander Rochester's case file and, I hate to tell you, but what I predicted would happen has happened. No surprise really. Regular working folks kids go to prison for years and years on charges like this. The Judge's son gets off scot free.

John Alexander Rochester was allowed to plea all of the trafficking charges down to simple possession charges and he received five years probation. He is walking around free. The arrest report states that he and his friend were passed out at the Ashland City Park at 12:56 a.m. The arresting officer smelled marijuana and conducted a search. While Alex Rochester was attempting to pull his passport out of his pocket a pipe fell out. After the massive amounts of drugs were found Alex Rochester stated according to the police report that "He had bought the drugs in Atlanta and that he would give up the name of the supplier if the fed's would take considerable time off his sentence." Alex Rochester already had two warrants out for his arrest at the time of this arrest. Apparently Daddy never taught him to keep his mouth shut when the cops show up because Alex Rochester squealed like a little pig.

Here is what the case file says about the amount of drugs he was arrested with. You better sit down.

1. Two baggies, envelope, one vial, crack cocaine, powder cocaine Total: 32 grams (1 ounce give or take)
2. 1 gallon bag containing marijuana
3. 5 sandwich baggies containing marijuana. 4 were corners of bags packaged for resale.
4. 1100 Extacy pills in 11 baggies
5. 2 straws, 2 rolled up dollar bills and two pipes.
6. 26 Xanax pills


I'd bet my right arm that NEVER in the history of Alabama has anyone caught with that amount of drugs been allowed to plea down trafficking charges (clearly he was trafficking) to simple possession. And remember...all of those charges carried an additional 3 year mandatory minimum because the arrest occurred withing three miles of a school, church, day care center and public housing facilities. Hell, it happened in the Ashland City Park where all the little children play on the mini-monster trucks and monkey bars. I also wonder how many people are in jail or prison because they bought drugs from Alex Rochester and got caught?

Anyone else would have had bonds in the millions of dollars, had their face plastered all over the front page of the newspaper and would be serving decades in an Alabama prison. In this case, because Alex Rochester's daddy is a judge, he is treated like the fortunate son, given a slap on the wrist and set free. The Clay Times Journal printed only the police blotter when he was arrested and there has to date been absolutely no additional coverage of this major story in the paper.

The court system and the media have failed the citizens of those counties and really all the citizens of the State of Alabama. We expect fairness in our judicial system. Clearly our system has been subverted and the rules thrown out the window because it was a judge's son caught red handed TRAFFICKING HUGE AMOUNTS OF DRUGS.

However, I have a plan to make sure the majority of the citizens of Clay County and Coosa County are made aware of what has happened. I won't say what that plan is because I want it to be a really nasty surprise for the Rochester family. Don't want to spoil the anticipation for them.

Do stay tuned and please DIGG THIS

Drug Sentence of Clay County Judges Son Called Into Question

Anniston Star

An Alabama drug legalization advocate is calling into question the 2008 drug possession sentence of a man who happens to be the son of a Clay County judge.

John Alexander Rochester, 23, of Ashland, was arrested March 1, 2008, in Ashland City Park. Rochester, who was 21 at the time, and a 19-year-old man were taken into custody, police said, after they were found to be in possession of large amounts of powdered and crack cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy pills and other drug paraphernalia.

The police report said Rochester claimed ownership of the drugs at the time of his arrest, telling the arresting officer the prices he charged for various quantities of each drug.

Rochester, the son of Clay County Circuit Judge John E. Rochester, was released on bond after serving two and a half weeks in jail.

Rochester’s case was sent to a grand jury hearing in March 2008. According to court documents, the grand jury returned an indictment charging Rochester with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Rochester pleaded guilty to all three counts on April 17, 2008. Sentencing was overseen by retired Talladega County Circuit Judge Jerry L. Fielding.

Rochester was given a suspended five-year jail sentence, five years probation, a $5,600 fine and was ordered to complete a drug rehabilitation program in Mississippi.

Loretta Nall, a drug legalization advocate and 2006 Libertarian Party candidate for governor of Alabama, said she thinks Rochester was given a lighter sentence because his father is a judge.

“If you look at other cases in Clay County with drugs, it doesn’t make a lot of sense that the grand jury would come back with this,” she said. “I expect the judicial system to be fair.”

A criminal law expert, however, said the case likely was given to a grand jury and a judge from a neighboring county in an effort to ensure fairness.

“When you have someone prominent like this, you always have a question of whether or not this was given something special,” said Floyd Feeney, law professor at the University of California, Davis. “But once you get to sentencing, because there is a lot of transparency to that, the fact that you have a judge from another county (presiding) provides some assurance that this is being handled in an even-handed manner.”

Feeney said sentencing in drug offenses sometimes varies from case to case because of the intent behind sentencing.

“Sentencing has a number of different goals. One goal is to deter this individual from committing new drug offenses,” Feeney said. “Even though there are a lot of drugs involved here, what you’d like to do is to get this person into a successful, productive life.”

Nall said she was surprised by the sentence because “Judge Rochester has been notorious for harsh sentences.”

“I’ve seen so many people go to prison under him, and suddenly jail is not good enough for his son,” she said.

Reached by phone Friday, the younger Rochester declined to comment. Attempts to reach Judge Rochester were unsuccessful.

Contact Staff writer Whit McGee 256-235-3561
--------------------------------------

Many thanks to the Anniston Star for covering this story. I have been trying for over a year to get them to cover what the Clay Times Journal would not.

A couple of things that need to be corrected in this article are that the indictment wasn't handed down in this case until March of 2009...not 2008 and the Grand Jury that returned the indictment was a Clay County Grand Jury and not a Talladega Grand jury, according to the case file that I have. And I must say that a Clay County Grand Jury would indict a ham sandwich, so it is shocking that they reduced the charges Alex Rochester was facing before returning the indictment. Anyone else caught with that many drugs in the Ashland City Park, of all places, would have been recommended for the death penalty. I can just hear D.A. Freddy Thompson saying, "He was dealing drugs at the park where our children play. What if he had dropped some Extacy and some kid had picked it up and eaten it and then died?" Anyone but Rochester's kid would have received a very long prison sentence for this crime. Anyone else would have been called a kingpin and the trumpets would be blaring that the law got another drug dealer targeting kids at the park off the street.

I also find it utterly outrageous that this reporter had to go all the way to California to find and 'expert' on the criminal justice system in Alabama. Is there anyone who could possibly know less about how fucked up things are here than a law professor from completely across the country? Were there no law or criminal justice experts at the University of Alabama or Jacksonville State that he could have called? While the law professor is correct that the goal of sentencing is to deter a repeat offense and the hope is that the offender will begin to lead a successful, productive life, most people arrested in Alabama for that amount of drugs, who aren't related to a judge, are never offered the chance at a successful, productive life because they are sent to rot for decades in an Alabama prison. I challenge anyone reading this to find me one case in either Clay County or Talladega County Alabama where the accused was found with 1100 Extacy pills, 32 grams of cocaine, prescription drugs (usually folks caught with prescription drugs are charged for each pill they possess without a prescription) and a gallon bag of marijuana that was given a bond low enough to where they could get out. I'd also like to see a case where someone charged with trafficking was allowed to go to treatment. Traffickers aren't even eligible for drug court in Alabama.

I wish this article had gone into more detail about the amount of drugs Alex Rochester was caught with. Overall it's a start.

Digg this
REDDIT

Some Drug Traffickers Are More Equal Than Others

Published at Capital City Free Press

Do you ever wonder if the justice system in Alabama is fair? Ever questioned whether justice here is indeed blind? Is it important to you that everyone be treated equal under the law?

I believe most citizen's have asked themselves those questions at one time or another. Warning: If you are one of the citizen's who is convinced that we have a fair, neutral and blind justice system in this state and that everyone is treated the same according to the law then you probably shouldn't read any further. I take no responsibility for any meltdown you might have as a result of being exposed to the truth.

On March 1, 2008 John Alexander Rochester, son of 40th Circuit Court Judge John Rochester, was arrested at the Ashland City Park in Ashland, AL for trafficking of meth, first degree possession of marijuana, trafficking cocaine, possession of paraphernalia, distribution of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. I immediately began following the case.

Actually, 'following' the case is not the right term. Reporting the case is much more like it, since no other media outlet in the state has deemed it newsworthy to report the arrest of a judge's son for drug trafficking and the special treatment he is receiving from the court system. Yet, every other regular Jim Bob or Mary Jane that has been arrested for the same or similar offenses has had their name and alleged crimes reported in their hometown papers and on the 5 O'Clock News. I've contacted the Clay Times Journal, the Anniston Star, the Birmingham News and all television stations in the Birmingham Area about this, but none of them have responded. The Clay Times Journal is the local paper in Clay County. A search of their site turns up absolutely nothing about the Rochester case, but boldly displayed on their front page is this story. Hmmmmm.....

(UPDATE: I got a response from someone at the Clay Times Journal about this story.
Our publisher and editor is out of town this week. Please e-mail a phone number so he can contact you directly.
For your information, our web site was not up and running when Rochester was arrested, and we did run a story on the matter. I do not remember the date and am too involved with the current issue. I will check after we get through later this week.

I was unaware that they did not have a website up and running when Rochester was originally arrested. I will post their story as soon as I get it.)


There are many things that make this a more than newsworthy case. First, this is a rich, white kid, who is the son of a prominent judge getting racked up on very serious drug charges. He obviously wasn't selling to support his own habit, like most other people charged with trafficking are. He wasn't selling because he needed the money. His family has plenty of money. Usually, it is some poor white kid, black kid or hispanic kid busted for selling a dime bag to his buddy out of his own quater bag that gets whacked with the trafficking charge. Never a judges son.

Second, Judge Rochester is legendary for harshly sentencing drug offenders who are unfortunate enough to find themselves in his courtroom. I've sat in his courtroom as an observer and also as a family member of a defendant over the course of many years. Ashland is my hometown, you see. He once sentenced a kid I went to church with to five years in prison for possession of one Xanax. This kid had no prior record. On another occasion I saw him hand down a five year sentence to a truck driver for personal possession of meth. Ordered him straight to Kilby. Again, this gentleman had no priors. And Judge Rochester always drug tests defendants before the trial. Lines them up like cattle and demands their bodily fluids in hopes of bypassing that pesky thing known as a trial by jury.

Judge Rochester doesn't believe in drug treatment before prison. In fact, one of his favorite sayings is, "There's a SAP program in prison" whenever a lawyer asks that their client be allowed to attend treatment. SAP stands for substance abuse program.

I've talked to lawyers from the town where I now reside who regularly argue cases before him and many of them say they charge double to take a case if it is going to be in Rochester's courtroom. They also tell stories of the judge's contempt for defendants and even for the counsel. He is a tyrant when on the bench.

So, for someone like me, who has made a career out of reforming Alabama's drug laws, spends a lot of time and effort attempting to bring fairness to drug defendants in the justice system and trying to get the media to cover the different sides of the prohibition issue, this case is the perfect storm. Will Judge Rochester's son be treated the same way all drug defendants are treated in Clay County? Will his bonds be comparable to the bonds of regular folks up on the same charges? Will he be made to stand in line with the rest of the folks to await his turn to piss in a cup? Will he be denied the opportunity to attend treatment while awaiting trial? Will the media step up and do its job in this case, which is to inform the public?

That the public know the answers to these and other questions is imperative. We pay this judge's salary, he sentences our children and family members and we have a right to expect that his family members will be subject to the same sanctions under the law for the same or worse crimes, as we are. We have a right to expect that treatment will be equal. So far I'd have to say the treatment of John Alexander Rochester has been anything but equal.

John Alexander Rochester spent 23 days in the Ashland jail and was then bonded out by his mother for a total of $20,000 and whisked away to treatment in Mississippi to await the next convening of the grand jury in Clay County.

The judge who set the bonds is Judge George C. Simpson, the district court Judge in Clay County, which means he is subordinate to Judge Rochester and good friends with him to boot. The very fact that the case was not heard outside the county or that no unbiased judge was brought in to preside over the bond hearing should outrage everyone who expects fairness in our judicial system, regardless of how they feel about drugs or drug users. But, wait, it gets worse.

I was able to come by all six case action summaries for the Rochester case and five additional comparison cases with the same or similar charges during the same time frame for other people who don't have the luxury of having their daddy be a judge.

There are some whopping disparities.

The bond schedule sets the bond for drug trafficking anywhere from $5,000 to $1,500,000. Class A felony bonds range from $10,000 to $60,000, Class B felony bonds range from $5,000 to $30,000 and Class C felony bonds range from $2500 to $15,000. Class A Misdemeanor bonds range from $300 to $6,000.

Judge George Simpson set the bonds in all the following cases.


Regular Citizens before Judge Simpson

Charge - Unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance Second Degree - Bond $30,000 Class B Felony (This bond is the maximum)

Charge - Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance - Bond $30,000 Class B Felony (This bond is the maximum)

Charge - Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance - Bond $100,000 Class B Felony (This bond is $70,000 more than the maximum on the bond schedule)

Charge - Unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance - Bond $50,000 Class B Felony (This bond is $20,000 more than what the bond schedule says it should be at the highest)

Charge - Possession of a controlled substance - Bond $30,000 Class C Felony (This bond is twice what the schedule says it should be at the highest)

Compare to the bonds that John Alexander Rochester received from Judge Simpson.


John Alexander Rochester's Bonds

Charge - Trafficking of Methyl Amphetamine - Bond $20,000, Class C Felony

Charge - possession of drug paraphernalia - Bond $5,000, Class A Misdemeanor

Charge - distribution of a controlled substance - Bond $15,000, Class B Felony
(the other two people charged with this crime had bonds of $30,000 and $100,000)

Charge - possession of a controlled substance - Bond $15,000, Class C Felony
This fine is only half or less of what other defendants charged with the same offense had to pay. Why were others charged double or more?

Charge - 1st degree possession of marijuana - Bond $10,000, Class C Felony

Charge - trafficking cocaine - Bond $20,000. Class A Felony
Now this one could have been considered drug trafficking and probably would have been if it were anybody else's kid. The bond could have been set up to 1.5 million dollars, but it looks like the judge went for the Class A Felony bond and not the drug trafficking bond. Why?

In at least two cases John Alexander Rochester's bond was half (or less) what other people charged with the same crime had to pay. In most of the other cases the bonds are way higher than what the bond schedule says they should be. That makes this even more disgusting because the Rochester's have plenty of money while the other folks don't. The Rochester's could pay almost any bond amount and not be hurt too bad by it financially...but these other, common, regular citizens, who probably make barely above minimum wage working at Tyson or Piggly Wiggly or Bill's Dollar Store, will go broke trying to scrape up enough money to get out.

Additionally, John Alexander Rochester should have enhancements added to his sentence because he was selling drugs at the city park for goodness sake. The city park where the little children who inhabit the safe town of Ashland play on the monster truck and tractor toys and hang upside down from the monkey bars. What about the children? Isn't that what we always hear? The city park is also within a three mile radius of the schools and many public housing complexes. Ashland is tiny. Just about everything in it is in a three mile radius. Here is a map

View Larger Map

Rochester was arrested at 2nd St. NW which is the city park. A stones throw away at 2nd St NW and 2nd St E. is a daycare center/headstart. Across the street from the park is a public housing complex. At 3rd St SW are the high school and elementary school. You get the picture.

Here are the parts of the Alabama Code that deal with sales within a three mile radius.

Distribution within three miles of a school 5 year enhancement with no provision for probation
Distribution within three miles of public housing 5 year enhancement with no provision for probation
Use of Drug paraphernalia within three miles of public housing Subject to forfeiture

The only catch is that the prosecutor has to ask that these additional penalties be imposed. Think that will happen in this case? Do you think it would be likely to happen in other cases where the defendant isn't related to the judge? I am currently looking for cases in Clay County where the enhancements have been imposed. I'll let everyone know if I find any.

Some of the crimes John Alexander Rochester is charged with call for mandatory minimum prison sentences. Here are the sections of the Alabama Code that deal with mandatory minimums.

Trafficking in marijuana, cocaine, meth

Sentences not to be deferred or reduced (unless the prosecutor asks for it to be or the defendant narcs out his connections)

This is so VILE! There ought not be two sets of rules in our judicial system. Our media ought not be biased in what it reports or about whom it reports based on who they are related to. This case clearly shows that we do, in fact, have two sets of rules in both our judicial system and in our media. If you are a regular nobody like this guy then you get your face plastered all over the 5 O'Clock news for a few measly pounds of pot that you weren't peddling at the city park where children play and your bond is set at half a million bucks. Reckon that guy will be allowed to attend treatment while he awaits trial?

If you are a judges son, caught selling a wide variety of drugs including cocaine, in a city park where children play then the media will never report it and your bonds will be set at what amounts to pocket change by a Judge who is both subordinate to your father and a close friend of your father. You will be allowed to attend treatment out of state while you await trial because your family can afford to buy you a treatment bed anywhere there happens to be one open.

I am unsure of John Alexander Rochester's current whereabouts. He was last reported to have been in treatment in Mississippi. Seeing as how that was three months ago there is a good chance he is out now. The next phase in this case will be the convening of the grand jury in Clay County. That is likely to happen sometime in September or October. This case will either have to be moved out of Clay County entirely or a different judge will have to be brought in. That actually should have happened at the bond hearing. I'm in favor of moving it to the furtherest corner of Alabama where Judge John Rochester has never been heard of and wields no power to influence the outcome of the trial.

I wish there was some way to replace the prosecutor as well. We know his effort to hang the judge's son will not be as pure as the driven snow, like they are in other cases. I have serious doubts that he will ask for the judge to impose the enhancements that young Rochester is eligible for but that he will be able to get around the mandatory minimum sentences the law calls for.

I'll be watching this case closely and attending as many of the court hearings as I can....assuming they are made public beforehand. I am also in the process of compiling all of the information that I currently have into a formal complaint to the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission. It is clear to me that Judge Simpson, at least, has violated some of the Canons of Judicial Ethics by not recusing himself from the case as it is clear that some would see his handling of it as biased and as a major conflict of interest. The difference in the bonds for Rochester and others is very interesting too. I wonder what they will make of that?

There is one more thing I want to add before leaving this story to be continued and its this. I don't think anyone should go to jail for non-violent drug offenses. I don't even think drugs should be against the law. But, I do think that we citizens are entitled to fairness and equal treatment in our judicial system and if everyone else not fortunate enough to have a judge for a parent has to pay the piper with prison time for non-violent drug offenses, then so should Mr. John Alexander Rochester. I'm certainly not paying for me to go to prison and him not to go to prison for the same offense. I don't think anyone else is either.



To be continued....

Loretta Nall





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Transcript of Alex Rochester's Arrest Report

Arresting Officer W.E. Cooper
Assisting Officer Cory Ligon

I was patrolling the area around the park at approximately 12:56 a.m. I noticed a vehicle parked in the parking lot. The vehicle was running and had two white male occupants. I noticed the strong smell of marihuana coming from the vehicle. Both occupants were extremely hard to wake up. I asked the front seat occupant for identification. He told me his name was John Alexander Rochester. He handed me his passport for identification. While he was looking for his passport he pulled a pipe out of his pocket. I had Mr. Rochester step out of the vehicle. While still in the vehicle he also pulled out a large amount of cash. While I patted him down outside the vehicle I removed the pipe and asked Mr. Rochester where the drugs were. He pointed to the center console and said there. I found a large cocaine rock in a plastic baggie. Also when looking in and around the center console I found one vial of powder cocaine and a small baggie of marihuana. Mr. Rochester also had another baggie of rock cocaine in his pocket. I placed Mr. Rochester in hand cuffs and sat him down on the ground. I also found out that Mr. Rochester had two outstanding warrants.

I got _________ out of the vehicle. He was covered up with a black jacket. I asked who owned the jacket. Mr. _______ claimed the jacket. In the front pocket of the jacket I found a small baggie containing 26 blue pills identified as Xanax. Mr. _____ was placed in hand cuffs and sat on the ground. All those actions took place after midnight. The park closes at 10 p.m.

Upon search of the vehicle we found a gift bag containing a 1 gallon bag of marijuana and four smaller bags of marijuana. Also in the gift bag was a black plastic bag containing 11 clear plastic bags of pills. These pills were identified as Extacy. Approximately 1100 pills. Bishop Wrecker was called to the scene and transported the vehicle to the sheriff's impound lot at the jail.

I transported Mr. Rochester to the Ashland Police Department. Deputy Cory Ligon transported Mr. _____ to the Ashland Police Department. Upon arrival at the police department Mr. Rochester was notified of his rights and signed a waiver. Mr. Rochester told me that he had fronted the Xanax to Mr. _____. I said fronted? He said yes he would pay me for them later. He stated that he had bought the Extacy tablets two weeks ago and sold them for $10 a pill. He stated he had purchased 2500 pills. He stated that it was bought in Atlanta. I asked about the marijuana. He stated that it was bought in Atlanta the previous day. He said he sold it for $60 a quarter bag. He stated that he would give up the manufacturer and distributor in Atlanta if the feds would take considerable time off his sentence.

He had 8 Klonopin .5 in his possession. He stated that he bought them for $4 a pill and sold them for $6 or $7 a pill. He also had 4 nitroglycerin tablets. I asked him what they were for. He stated in case anyone overdosed on the cocaine.

Also we found 2 sets of digital scales, one shaker, one pack of JOB 1.5 rolling papers, two straws were also found. One pack of Swisher Sweet Cigarillos, several packets of flavored EZ Roll tubes. One partially smoked blunt was found in the ashtray. One bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label Blended Scotch Whiskey was also found in the vehicle. Mr. Rochester made his statement and was booked on several felony charges and two misdemeanor charges. Mr. Rochester had $1149 on his person at the time of his arrest. It was counted in front of Mr. Rochester and verified. All items placed in evidence.

I Told You So

A few months ago I posted about Circuit Court Judge John Rochester's son, John Alexander Rochester, getting busted for trafficking narcotics in Ashland, AL. I also posted some background on Judge Rochester's history of harsh sentences for drug offenders in the past.

I predicted, however, that his son, John Alexander Rochester, would be whisked away to treatment under the cover of darkness and we'd never hear about this case again.

And I was right. On March 21, of this year John Alexander Rochester was bonded out of the Clay County jail by his mother, Linda Rochester and secreted away to a treatment center in Mississippi.

Here are the comments made on one of the posts

"Okay folks, I want you to know this much. John was signed out of the Clay county jail by someone who appeared to be his mother.

The bond amounts were VERY SMALL concerning the charges. For the Distribution of Cocaine and Meth, he had $20,000 bonds- POSTED by one person. Not the way it usually goes. When a bond is posted, it is supposed to have TWO signers, and the property must be worth double what the bond is, liens are counted, and you can only have four bonds signed out at one time. There were at least five charges to my recollection.

People with the same charges have had much larger bonds. Someone accused of not registering as a sex offender got a bond that size.

I am having to go anonymous here because if it is known that I leaked this out, I might make someone angry at me and loose my job.

Don't take my word for it. Demand the public record. You will see it's true.

A few days ago, I heard him order a bonding company loose their license, because they did not come to court, and were not present for what is called a forfeiture case.

I heard later that the company's notice was sent out with only 2 business days notice, and that they sent it to the wrong address.

The law is very clear, a bonding company has 30 days to pay a forfeiture. I was very shocked. They just put someone out of business because of their own screw up, and we wonder why businesses won't come here.

I happen to like that bonding company. They didn't rip people off and only charged ten percent. They came every time they had been called, and were very professionial. I talked to the owner, who told me he had been a bail bondsman for 7 years that he was still searching vigorously for the defendant who failed to appear, and he was very distraught over the situation because his court date for the final forfeiture was set way too early.

It's a shame, I also heard that Judge Rochester had never done that before, and had given Grover Poole bonding over a year to pay a bond, and never revoked them.

Special treatment? Favoritism? You decide."

And another...


John was released on March 21, 2008 on at least 6 different charges. The person who claimed not to be trying to get him out is obviously a liar themselves.

Linda Rochester posted property bonds with her name only on each one as the property holder.

For your information, the Sherrif can allow someone to do that if they so desire. Of course, if you are poor, and have no friends in high places, the jail will require the two property owners. Only the Sherrif or Judge can over rule that.

Either way, I heard that this young man was caught with meth, pot, pills, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Serious charges, yes, but he doesn't need help. It sounds like he needs a legal job.
He was a dealer not a user. So what's to help him?

Why would anyone not want him to go to jail for what he was doing? Selling drugs is a crime. The law is the law. Uphold it, or fight for change if you disagree, but in the meantime, you must obey the law. No one is above it.

Another Anonymous

So, on March 21 John Alexander Rochester was released on property bonds totaling $20,000. Usually bonds for narcotics trafficking reach into the hundreds of thousands and sometimes even millions. Only one person, his mother, signed the property bonds and that is not the way it is usually done.

Here is what I want to know.

Who set the bond?

What judge heard the bond case?

Was this done in Clay County?

I'll take a stab at my own questions. The answer to 1 & 2 is most likely Judge George Simpson, a real close friend of Judge John Rochester, who also has a son named Luke who used to stay in trouble with drugs all the time when we were in high school. I guess ole George owed Rochester one since Rochester used to handle his son with kid gloves.

I think the answer to my second question is YES, it probably was done in Clay County which screams to be investigated. It should not have been done in Clay County because of the incestuous nature of the criminal justice system. The judges are friends and have been giving each others kids free rides on drug charges for YEARS. It couldn't have been a fair hearing. Couldn't have been. It should have been moved to a different county or a Judge from a different county should have been brought in to handle this case.

But, no, the rich and powerful have a different set of rules by which they live. Us poor folks get fu**ed, to put it bluntly. Our daddies aren't judges in a small town. We don't have powerful connections.

I tell you what though....today I am going to ask the Judicial Inquiry Commission to open an investigation into this matter. I am SICK TO DEATH of preferential treatment being given to those who have money and power. FORGET THAT! If Judge Rochester can sentence poor folks to prison for committing lesser crimes than his boy then, by god, his boy can do some hard time. This was John Alexander Rochester's second offense involving drugs. He should be in jail like everyone else.

Oh yeah, I heard Senator Jabo Wagoner's son was involved in a drunk driving accident a short time ago in Walker County and the driver of the other car was injured. But, not one mention of it in any newspaper in the state. The media ought to be very ashamed. I'd also like to note that there has been NO media coverage of the Rochester case. I found one mention on a web radio site in Anniston but the Anniston Star has not had any story on this case. I find that repulsive.

Then there was Senator Richard Shelby's son who was busted at the Atlanta Intl' Airport in 1998 for smuggling 13.8 grams of hash into the country from England. Customs found it and fined him $500. Had it been you or me we would have been charged with international drug smuggling and we'd still be in prison.

US Congressman Spencer Bacchus's son was also involved in something drug related a few years ago. He got special treatment.

There are many other cases like this involving rich kids whose daddies are senator's, congressmen or judges from Alabama. Today I will update my list of such cases.

There are 30,000 people in the Alabama prison system. The majority of them were sent there originally for drugs or alcohol. 500 a year were sentenced to prison for marijuana before drug court started in Alabama. But, prison is apparently only for poor people.

I am out to change that, starting now. I will ask that this case be investigated by the Judicial Inquiry Commission and I will begin writing letters to editors across the state in hopes that the media will also begin an investigation. The public pays the salary of these judges, who in turn send kids of the poor members of the public to prison....but let their own kids go free. We have a right to know exactly what went on in this case, who the judge was that set such a low bond, how come it was set so low, if it was done in Clay County and what we can expect to happen to John Alexander Rochester when he is released from rehab in Mississippi.

To Judge Rochester....I will be watching you very closely. Believe that! I am going to be a shrill about this case until I get some answers. How do you sleep at night when you have sentenced so many people to prison for very minor drug infractions yet your drug pushing son is pretty much free at a nice rehab center in Mississippi? This won't stand Judge. When you run for office again I will be the first one to point out what you did for your own son and what you have done to other people's sons and daughters for far lesser infractions. I hope the Judicial Inquiry Commission investigates you and takes action against you. I'd like to see you removed from the bench.

UPDATE: A friend of mine sent me all six case action summaries on this case. John Alexander Rochester was charged with possession of Methyl Amphetamine
and the bond was $20,000, possession of drug paraphernalia bond was $5,000, distribution of a controlled substance bond was $15,000, possession of a controlled substance bond was $15,000, 1st degree possession of marijuana bond was $10,000, trafficking cocaine bond set at $20,000.

Those bonds are so low for those charges it is beyond the pale. And just as I suspected Judge George C. Simpson was the judge in this case. I hope the commenter from one of the earlier posts will let us know which two charges bonds were not paid on when John Alexander Rochester was released to the custody of his mother.

My friend who sent the case action summaries also noted the following..

It appears two are Class B Felonies with a minimum of three years incarceration and the rest are possession cases. Now the mandatory three years for trafficking can be either reduced or it can be split so that the person does not have to actually serve the time.

Now, I grew up in Ashland and I know exactly where he was arrested. The park is within a stones throw of public housing and maybe a mile from both the schools. Will there be enhancements added to his sentence like everyone else's? I see no mention of enhancements in the case action summaries.

Does anyone know where he is now? Is he still in treatment in Mississippi? Is he out? When will the grand jury convene and decide whether or not to indict him?






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More on Judge Rochester's Son

Yesterday I posted about Circuit Court Judge John Rochester's son, John Alexander Rochester, being charged with drug trafficking in Ashland, AL. According to the Ashland police department Rochester is charged with Trafficking in Cocaine, Possession of Controlled substance, Possession of Marijuana first degree, Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and trafficking in illegal drugs.

Those are some very serious charges.

It just so happens that Ashland, AL is my hometown. I grew up there and know virtually everyone. Three people are currently feeding me information on the case and all are watching to see if the judges son gets special treatment. My sources are telling me that John Alexander Rochester will turn states evidence and that arrangements are being sought for a treatment bed for him.

Rochester's son should not get special treatment because of who he is or because his daddy can afford to buy him a slot in a treatment center. If he does then I will organize a very rowdy protest on the steps of the Clay County Courthouse along with some or perhaps all of the following people and anyone else I can round up. Should be quite a crowd seeing as about half the population of Clay Co. has had someone sent to prison by Judge Rochester for drugs.

The kid I went to church with who got a five year prison sentence from Judge Rochester for possessing one Xanax. He wasn't trafficking. His family will attend too. They are well respected.

My brother, who Rochester has sentenced twice, ten years each, for being an alcoholic. He has never been a trafficker.

My sister-in-law, who is in jail with Judge Rochester's son. She is accused of having pills without a prescription. She has never been a trafficker

This is a chance to expose the blatant hypocrisy that is the criminal justice system. It will show that you can have about as much justice as you can afford in this country.

I think drug use/sales of any kind between consenting adults shouldn't be a crime and please don't think I am advocating for jail or prison for the young Rochester or the Yates kid. I am not. But, if one deserves a shot at a treatment bed then they all do and it shouldn't be based on how much money one has, and if it is then it is unconstitutional because it is discriminatory in nature. Only the rich can get in treatment. The poor go to jail.

I'll keep everyone posted on new developments and if you are reading from Clay County then start rounding up folks that have felt the wrath of Judge Rochester to join in our potential protest.




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Judge Rochester has a Change of Heart?

I've been following closely the story about Clay County Circuit Court Judge John Rochester's son being busted for trafficking in cocaine and marijuana. Rumor has it that John Alexander Rochester will turn states evidence in exchange for the trafficking charge being dropped and will be whisked away to treatment in the dark of night.

I spoke to some Clay County folks who want to participate in any protest I organize once Rochester Jr. is given treatment. I learned from them that this is the second time John Alexander Rochester has been arrested for drugs. They were unsure if the previous charge was for trafficking or simple possession. When I told them Rochester Jr. would likely be given treatment they reminded me of what Judge Rochester tells the souls that come before him on drug charges who ask for treatment, "There's a substance abuse program (SAP) in prison." So, that is what some of our signs for this protest will say. How bout them apples?

As I noted before Judge Rochester is notorious for handing down harsh sentences for simple possession. I saw him sentence a guy to 5 years in prison for simply possessing meth for personal use in Jan. of 2007. Lawyers from out of town won't take a case before him for less than double what they usually charge because they hate him so bad and they know it is futile to go before him on a drug case and expect a fair ruling.

So, imagine my surprise when I heard last week that a friend who had asked me for help on a trafficking charge got a 5 year probation sentence for trafficking from Rochester!! And he was on tape selling to an undercover twice. He also had a prior but it was granted youthful offender status. And he is BLACK! I've never seen Rochester sentence anyone to probation on a trafficking charge. NEVER! Especially not a black kid. And I grew up in Clay County and have sat in his courtroom many, many times.

I guess until Judge Rochester's boy is sent away to treatment under the cover of night we will see him hand down very light sentences for possession and trafficking. My guess is that once his young'un is taken care of he will return to being the jackass that he is known to be.

But not without a little input from others who have suffered his wrath in the past. I detest blatant hypocrisy, special treatment based on who your daddy is or how much money you have or both.



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Judge John Rochester's Son Arrested on Trafficking Charges

Oh...how the mighty have fallen!!

Judges son arrested

The son of a Clay county circuit court judge is in the Clay County jail on multiple drug charges. According to Ashland Police, John Alexander Rochester, son of circuit court judge John Rochester and Kyle Tyler Yates were both arrested in an Ashland park by police. Rochester is charged with Traffficking in Cocaine, Possession of Controlled substance, Possession of Marijuana first degree, Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and trafficking in illegal drugs. Yates has been charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both men remain in the Clay county jail.

Here is the beauty of this thing. I have sat in Judge Rochester's court room many times since I was a kid. Never been before him myself...but other family members and friends have and were placed in prison for YEARS for simple possession charges. Trafficking brought unbelievable sentences from Judge Rochester. It has been rumored for a long time by various sources that Judge Rochester is a big fan of nose candy himself....but I have never been able to confirm that. If he toot's he never offered me a bump.

And now his precious boy resides in the Clay County jail for trafficking. Interestingly enough...my sister-in-law is also in that same jail because she is a chronic pain patient who has no insurance and has to acquire her medications from the street. She is facing 15 years right now for that very thing. At least she has a legitimate need for doing what she is accused of if she actually did it.

I had a friend call me a few weeks ago to tell me that he is about to go before Rochester for trafficking cocaine. They have him on wire talking to an undercover and the undercover asks, "How much can I get for this?" and "You got that?" Specific drugs are never mentioned. He asked me if there was anything I could do to help him. I sent him a text message few minutes ago with this information about Rochester's son. That should help.

Now, I assume that Rochester will recuse himself from this case. I also assume he will use every available power that he has to keep his 'precious' out of the horrible Alabama prison system that he has so unceremoniously sent other people's precious kids to for the same or lesser crimes. I bet he might even try to get him in drug court...but traffickers are not eligible for drug court. When that fails he'll start looking for treatment for his kid...while he denied it to so many others, and maybe he will learn first hand about the appalling lack of treatment beds in this state.

I love it when officials kids make them look like fools. They parade around town acting holier-than-thou, wielding their power without regard for others...never thinking that one day it will be their kid.

Poetic Fucking Justice BABY!!

I LOVE IT!



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A couple more things about the Alex Rochester case

I've been re-reading all the documents I have on the Alex Rochester case and a few more things have occurred to me.

1. Why was this not a federal case? John Alexander Rochester's actions constituted interstate drug trafficking. He bought the drugs in Atlanta, Georgia and transported them across state lines to Alabama. The amounts of some of the drugs alone should have triggered federal charges (1100 Extacy pills). When Rochester was arrested he offered to turn in his supplier to the feds for a considerable reduction in his sentence so even he knew it should have been a federal case. Why was it not?

2. John Alexander Rochester is on probation in Ashland, Alabama and has to report to the probation officer Stacy Vogel at least once a month. This is beyond the pale. Alex Rochester has to report to his probation officer in the same courthouse where his dad is a judge. Seeing as how Judge Rochester has already gone to great length's see that his son receives special treatment and stays out of jail, it isn't too far fetched that Judge Rochester might also know when the drug tests are being conducted and could relay that information to his son. I know for a fact in 2007/2008 the Dept. of Probation and Paroles supervised 55,751 people on probation and 10,445 on parole. They conducted 38,322 urine screens on these 66,000 folks … that is not even one urine a year for everyone. Probationers are only required to report between the first and the fifth of each month. So this actually amounts to young Alex Rochester not really even being on probation other than on paper.

What a sweetheart deal!

Comparison Bonds in the Rochester Case

I was able to come by five more case action summaries for drug defendants in George C. Simpson's courtroom during the same time frame for John Alexander Rochester. Judge Simpson is the judge who set the bonds in the case. There are some whopping disparities. Check this out.

The bond schedule sets the bond for drug trafficking anywhere from $5,000 to $1,500,000. Class A felony bonds range from $10,000 to $60,000, Class B felony bonds range from $5,000 to $30,000 and Class C felony bonds range from $2500 to $15,000. Class A Misdemeanor bonds range from $300 to $6,000.


Regular Citizens
Charge - Unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance Second Degree - Bond $30,000 Class B Felony (This bond is the maximum)

Charge - Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance - Bond $30,000 Class B Felony (This bond is the maximum)

Charge - Unlawful distribution of a controlled substance - Bond $100,000 Class B Felony (This bond is $70,000 more than the maximum on the bond schedule)

Charge - Unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance - Bond $50,000 Class B Felony (This bond is $20,000 more than what the bond schedule says it should be at the highest)

Charge - Possession of a controlled substance - Bond $30,000 Class C Felony (This bond is twice what the schedule says it should be at the highest)

Compare to the bonds that John Alexander Rochester received from Judge Simpson


John Alexander Rochester - Judges Son

Charge - possession of Methyl Amphetamine - Bond $20,000, Class C Felony ($5,000 more than the bond schedule maximum)

Charge - possession of drug paraphernalia - Bond $5,000, Class A Misdemeanor(except it was within three miles of a school and public housing)(Near the maximum in bond schedule)

Charge - distribution of a controlled substance - Bond $15,000, (the other two people charged with this crime had bonds of $30,000 and $100,000) Class B felony (Bond set in the middle of range)

Charge - possession of a controlled substance - Bond $15,000, Class C Felony
This fine is the maximum on the schedule but still only half of what other defendants charged with the same offense had to pay. Why were others charged double?

Charge - 1st degree possession of marijuana - Bond $10,000, Class C Felony Less than the maximum bond by $5,000

Charge - trafficking cocaine - Bond $20,000. Class A Felony Now this one could have been considered drug trafficking and the bond could have been set up to 1.5 million dollars, but it looks like the judge went for the Class A Felony bond and not the drug trafficking bond.

In at least two cases John Alexander Rochester's bond was half (or less)what other people charged with the same crime had to pay. In most of the other cases the fines are way higher than what the bond schedule says they should be. That makes this even more disgusting because the Rochester's have plenty of money while the other folks don't. The Rochester's could pay almost any bond amount and not be hurt too bad financially by it....but these other, common, regular citizens, who probably make barely above minimum wage working at Tyson or Piggly Wiggly or Bill's Dollar Store, will go broke trying to scrape up enough money to get out.

Yesterday I mentioned that John Alexander Rochester, should have enhancements added to his sentence because he was within a three mile radius of the schools and many public housing complexes. Ashland is tiny. Just about everything in it is in a three mile radius. Here are the parts of the Alabama Code that deal with sales within a three mile radius.

Distribution within three miles of a school 5 year enhancement with no provision for probation
Distribution within three miles of public housing 5 year enhancement with no provision for probation aside
Use of Drug paraphernalia within three miles of public housing Subject to forfeiture

Here are the sections of the Alabama Code that deal with mandatory minimums.

Trafficking in marijuana, cocaine, meth

Sentences not to be deferred or reduced (unless the prosecutor asks for it to be or the defendant narcs out his connections, or attends treatment and pays his/her fines and court costs)

Now, I can already picture Fred Thompson, the D.A., asking for a sentence reduction for JAR and it being granted by Judge Simpson because John Alexander Rochester was able to pay his way out. Yep...theres actually a provision for folks who have money.
I don't know how the enhancements will affect this case or the possibility of the prosecutor asking for a reduction in sentence. If anyone out there knows please post the answer or email me.

This is so VILE! There ought not be two sets of rules in our judicial system. This case clearly shows that we do, in fact, have two sets of rules and that the main rule is you can have exactly as much justice as you can afford.





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The Rochester Peanut Gallery

Sometimes I get comments that are so retarded on this blog that they deserve a whole post of their very own. Such is the case with the most recent comment left by a supporter of John Alexander Rochester and his daddy, Judge John E. Rochester. Their comments are in bold/italics and mine follow.

I'm sure that the fact that he has stepped down probably won't stop you from saying that whatever the verdict is unfair.

You're probably right on that front. There are only about 53 judges in Alabama for 67counties. It's a small circle of folks who are as tightly knit as the boys in blue. I may be able to change the players in this case but probably not the outcome. But that will only add more credence to the claim that the judicial system in Alabama is anything but fair if you are just a regular person whose daddy isn't a judge. Not that too many folks have doubts about it. I don't know Rumsey, the former D.A. of Talladega Co. who will be prosecuting the case, so I don't know what to expect from him. Hopefully, he will surprise me and treat John Alexander Rochester like any other alleged drug trafficker by asking for the maximum sentence with enhancements....but I won't hold my breath.

It appears that you are out to get this young man because of his dad. The only reason we are discussing this is because of who his father is.

I've stated over and over again that I don't think anyone should go to jail or prison for any non-violent drug offense. That includes John Alexander Rochester. I've made a career out of reforming the drug laws in this fucked up, ass backwards state. But, if everyone else has to go to jail/prison under the current law then, by God, John Alexander Rochester does too. He doesn't get a free pass because of who his daddy is. My tax dollars help pay for the criminal justice system, the judges salaries and everything to do with the court system. I pay for it to be fair and work the same regardless of who ones parents happen to be. Further, if Judge John E. Rochester, Judge George Simpson and D.A. Freddy Thompson had OBEYED the law, (yeah those same laws they demand others obey) and let this thing run its course without trying to rig it in favor of John Alexander Rochester then I would never have become involved in the first place. The blame lies squarely at the feet of John Alexander Rochester for allegedly trafficking drugs at the city park and the two judges and the DA for thinking regular citizen's are too stupid to figure out that they are being screwed.

You say that you want things equal, but it's you Mrs. Nall that have chosen to discuss this so public. You are a public figure and you are choosing to talk about one that's not. You've turned him into one because of his father, but not because he is a public figure and you are calling him out.

Every private citizen in Clay County and every other county in Alabama who is accused of the same things that JAR stands accused of immediately becomes a public citizen becase their names and the lurid details of their alleged crimes are printed in the newspapers. It is a matter of public record. The local fishwrapper of a newspaper decided (for obvious political reasons) to only run the police blotter on this story and not an actual informative piece like they would have for anyone else who is not the judges son. Like they did for the little hispanic guy who got drugs from the post office and the guy who was taking a whiz in the woods that the cops busted for possession of meth. If the newspaper won't report in a fair and unbiased way then the only ones left to do it are people like me. Private citizens with a very public persona.

He was a regular private citizen and you've turned him a public figure- someone to taunt and tear apart every small thing. I've seen you do it time and time again.

When John Alexander Rochester chose to do what he allegedly did in the park he gave up his right to privacy. I didn't make him sell drugs. Had nothing to do with him selling drugs. He made that decision all on his own. Now he has to suffer the consequences of a very bad decision. No one is to blame but him. Additionally, I have not pegged him as someone to taunt and tear down. I have never met him and know nothing about him other than what I have reported in this case. I've simply reported the story and the underlying unfairness of the judicial system for folks who don't have an immediate family member on the bench. You're not mad at me because I am reporting this story you are mad because you and others got caught doing things you should not have been doing. Plain and simple you are pissed because you got BUSTED.

I agreed with the Troy King thing, but this is ridiculous. Poor guy. And you want drugs legalized, but you don't want innocent until proven guilty. SHAME ON YOU!!

Very few people disagreed with me on the Troy King thing. That you were one of the ones that agreed says you have some sense. Why can't you see and admit that what is happening in the JAR case is plain wrong?

Yes. I want drugs legalized. All drugs. Legalized. Who says I don't want innocent until proven guilty? I haven't said he is guilty. I have simply reported what is in the police reports and the case action summaries. That is neither a testament to his guilt nor his innocence. Just the facts as they have come to me from the courts. Additionally, and I know you already know this, the innocent until proven guilty bit is total bullshit. It is the exact opposite in our system despite what we are raised to believe. When you are arrested and dragged into court you are GUILTY until proven INNOCENT. Ask anyone who has ever been arrested and tried in court if they were treated like they were innocent until proven guilty. I can nearly bout guarantee you won't find anyone who will tell you that is the case.

YOU'RE NOT WELCOME IN CLAY COUNTY!

Oh, really? Do you own Clay County now? No. In fact, I think I will come to Clay County today just to piss you off. I don't need to have your welcome or blessing. What will you do if I come to Clay County and you find out about it? Nothing except maybe run your ignorant mouth. But,let's put that theory to the test. You give me your phone number and I will call you personally when I make my next trip to Clay County (I'm there fairly often). I'll tell you what road I will be coming in on and give you my itenirary while I am there. Hell, I'll even buy you a cup of coffee at Maggie's on the square if you possess the testicular fortitude to show up. I'm putting my money on "Won't show up" though.

Update on John Alexander Rochester Case

With all of the hoopla surrounding the Troy King rumors I have neglected to keep everyone updated on the case of John Alexander Rochester.

When I last posted about this case I was waiting on the 'story' that the Clay Times Journal supposedly ran about Rochester's arrest. To date I have not been sent a copy. I also have not received a call from the editor/publisher, even though I gave them my phone number, as requested. However, I was able to find someone in Clay County with a copy of the paper in question.

The Clay Times Journal DID NOT run a 'story' on John Alexander Rochester's arrest for trafficking drugs at the city park like they did on this guy or this guy. They ran the police blotter, merely stating that an arrest was made, the name of the person arrested and the charges. There is a HUGE difference.

It is abundantly clear that the Clay Times Journal has zero journalistic integrity, care nothing for actually keeping the citizen's of Clay County informed about what is happening in their community and are extremely biased, as they chose to write articles about a Hispanic male getting drugs through the post office, another guy (race unknown) getting caught with meth while taking a leak in the woods but NOT the story of the judges son caught selling drugs at the park where the children of Clay County play. Note that the main difference in the three men in question is that two of them are not the offspring of the presiding judge in Clay County.

Personally, I think the story of the John Alexander Rochester selling hard drugs at the city park is of far more importance to the community and certainly more newsworthy than a Hispanic guy getting drugs for himself through the post office or someone possessing meth for personal use. Neither the Hispanic guy nor the guy caught with meth were trafficking them at the city park and the fathers of these two guys never sentenced anyone to long, torturous years in a government cage for drug use. Yet we know all about them and the circumstances surrounding their arrests....but we have yet to hear a word other than a small police blotter report about John Alexander Rochester's case or the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

I've just finished up my complaint against Judge Simpson to the Judicial Inquiry Commission and will be sending it off today pending a look over by an attorney friend of mine. I am also working on one against Judge John Rochester. Since he presides over that Court it was his duty to make sure that Simpson recused himself and, as we know, Simpson did not.

Their arrogance is astounding. The way they have handled this case says that they believe they are above the law, can do whatever they want and are confident that citizens are too stupid to figure out when there is some judicial buggery afoot.

I've got one word for them.

BUSTED!

I don't remember exactly how long it took for me to get a ruling when I filed a complaint against Judge Kim Taylor in 2004. I don't remember it taking very long. I will keep everyone posted on any correspondence with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission as well as any new developments in this case.




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More from the Rochester Peanut Gallery

I love rattling folks cages....especially when the folks in question are powerful judges or attorney generals. Judging from the responses the Rochester Peanut gallery is leaving on this blog and my other blog I'd say I've rattled them so hard their teeth are about to fall out. Here is the latest comment from the Alabama Court Watch Blog....peanut gallery in bold/italics and mine follow.


Just to let you know- so you don't have to take credit for anything. I believe that I told you that George and the DA would be stepping down.

Nonsense. Prove that you told me or my readers that. I remember a comment on my other blog where some anonymous person (perhaps it was you) said Judge Simpson DID step down and DID NOT handle the bond hearing. Which was a lie. I have the paperwork to prove it. The DA didn't step aside til things started getting a little hot and not until after I began talking about it on the radio.

Believe me it had nothing to do with your letter writing and calling campaign- that's really not an effective way of handling things anymore.

Sure, sure. Except that most people are smart enough to figure out that if the Judge and D.A. were going to do the right thing and step aside then they would have done it at the beginning and never handled the bond hearing. That they didn't do it until after I started talking about this case tells everyone reading this blog and following this story all they need to know about what happened and why.

As to whether or not calling and writing is an effective way to handle things this day and time....well it was obviously effective for this purpose because it got you scurrying around like a rat trying to cover your ass.


Especially when it comes from a mentally unstable, druggie, that complains about everything and everybody.

Now that's about the pot calling the kettle black ain't it? I admit an affinity for weed and make no bones about it. I also advocate for changes in the drug laws that, if implemented, would have prevented John Alexander Rochester from being arrested in the first place. If that makes me a 'druggie' then what does trafficking meth, trafficking cocaine, pills and marijuana make John Alexander Rochester? And you for supporting his free ride through the legal system?

Mentally unstable? How so? I'm obviously mentally stable enough to bust your ass for tinkering with my justice system.

Complains about everything and everybody? Oh, you mean since I am not a Democrat or Republican and go after both instead of towing a party line that I complain about everybody? You'd be right about that. You are all fair game in my book and at least I am consistent.

Oh yeah, personal attacks (mentally unstable druggie) only show everyone that you have no real argument or defense for your actions.

It's hard to take you serious anymore. It's like the little boy that cried wolf. You've cried wolf too many times. Most people around the state think you're a joke.

Where and when have I cried wolf before and not been vindicated? Please provide some examples with documentation. Further....there are just over 4 million people in this state...your statement implies that you have talked to ALL OF THEM and that, in your opinion, they think I am a joke. We all know that cannot be true. If you want people to believe you then you have to post things that remotely resemble HONEST.


Alex's trial is coming up. A new judge will take over. Alex will plead to something, hopefully he will serve no time to 5 years because this is his first offense. He's been in rehab for 6 months now with limited privileges and drug tested weekly.

It is my understanding that this is not his first offense. And, it must be really nice to spend six months in treatment when you are charged with drug trafficking. It is unheard of in anyone elses case that they are granted bonds as low as John Alexander Rochester was for the same offenses. Ahhh the elite and priviliged. Must be nice. You should tell JAR to enjoy the comforts of treatment while he can....prison won't be nearly as posh and gentle.

Judge Rochester will be retiring in a year to two years- so don't think you're running him off.

Good. One less corrupt, holier-than-thou, asshole on the bench. Not that I have much faith that his replacement will be any better. Further...Judge Rochester might want to consider moving that retirement date up a bit....else he will leave the bench with some nasty black smudges on his record.

Be sure to read the comments on yesterday's post. The last 5 are really good.

Largest drug bust in Clay County History?

The Clay Times Journal is reporting the largest drug bust in Clay Count History. That is a title I thought for sure was held by Clay County Circuit Court Judge John E. Rochester's son, Alex Rochester who was arrested in the Ashland City Park in March of 2008 after he was found to be in possession of the following;

1. Two baggies, envelope, one vial, crack cocaine, powder cocaine Total: 32 grams (1 ounce give or take)
2. Two 1 gallon bags containing marijuana
3. 5 sandwich baggies containing marijuana. 4 were corners of bags packaged for resale.
4. 1100 Extacy pills in 11 baggies (Alex said he had bought 2500 in Atlanta the week before and had already sold 1400 at $10 a piece)
5. 2 straws, 2 rolled up dollar bills and two pipes.
6. 26 Xanax pills


The online version of today's Clay Times Journal article does not list amounts of drugs recovered...only that there were 34 arrests. I'll be in Clay County later today and will pick up a copy and see what other details are available.

Alex Rochester only got his name mentioned in the police blotter after his arrest. He also was only given 5 years probation even though he admitted dealing, interstate drug trafficking and was caught with all those drugs at the park and within three miles of schools, churches, daycare centers and public housing facilities.....each of which carry an additional 5 year mandatory minimum sentence. There was also a 19 year old in the car with him. He was not charged with anything in connection to his passenger.

I hope that the lawyers for these defendants will use the Alex Rochester defense in John E. Rochester's courtroom.

I plan to write a letter to the editor about the unfair and downright unethical 'journalism' practices taking place at the Clay Times Journal. At any real newspaper the story of the Judge's son getting busted for that amount of drugs and the preferential treatment he received would have been front page news for months. But, in the Alex Rochester case, that is a story that was never written. Yet, every other person to be arrested for drugs in Clay County since that time has been front page news. I encourage all of my readers to send them an email as well.

Here are the contact email addresses. I tried to use the online form for sending an LTE, but it has never worked and does not work today.

Ray Stansell - claytimes@centurytel.net

Sherry Mattox - timesjournal@centurytel.net

Tammy Griffin - timesjournal@centurytel.net

Another outrageous bond in Clay County

Clay Times Journal

A young man was arrested last week in Lineville, Al, which is located in Clay County. According to the newspaper...

The officers found a small amount of what they believed to be marijuana packaged in separate bags, apparently so it could be sold.

Mr. Torey Lasean Sterling was charged with two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana 1st, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was transported to Clay County jail where he is currently being held under a total bond of $121,000.00.

$121,000 for a little bit of weed? Compare that ungodly high bond to what John Alexander Rochester received for trafficking 32 grams of crack and powder cocaine, a gallon bag of marijuana, 5 sandwich baggies of marijuana, 26 xanax pills, 8 klonopin pills and 1100 extacy pills.

John Alexander Rochester's Bonds

Charge - Trafficking of Methyl Amphetamine - Bond $20,000, Class C Felony

Charge - possession of drug paraphernalia - Bond $5,000, Class A Misdemeanor

Charge - distribution of a controlled substance - Bond $15,000, Class B Felony
(the other two people charged with this crime had bonds of $30,000 and $100,000)

Charge - possession of a controlled substance - Bond $15,000, Class C Felony
This fine is only half or less of what other defendants charged with the same offense had to pay. Why were others charged double or more?

Charge - 1st degree possession of marijuana - Bond $10,000, Class C Felony

Charge - trafficking cocaine - Bond $20,000. Class A Felony

Clay County Alabama needs to be investigated by the federal government! I'll pull the case file on the Sterling kid and see if Judge George C. Simpson or Judge John E. Rochester set the bond that high. I'll also try and make contact with the family so that they are aware of how badly they are being screwed by the Clay County judicial system. Maybe they can use the "Rochester defense" to get this kid the same treatment that Alex Rochester got.

So, will these people get probation from Judge Rochester?

The Clay Times Journal has released the Grand jury report from August and 9 out of 11 indictments are for controlled substance violations.

I can't help but wonder if these poor souls will be shown the same favoritism and leniency that was shown to Alex Rochester, the son of Judge John Rochester....the judge who will be presiding over these cases. If I were a betting gal I'd put my money on NO.

I've been hearing numerous reports that Alex Rochester violated his probation a few months ago....but his probation was not revoked and he was not placed in prison. However, there have been no papers filed in the court system to that effect. Of course, if your daddy is the judge then it'd be really easy to keep those papers from making their way into the AlaCourt system. Also odd that the probation office in the Court House caught fire right around the same time the reports about Alex violating probation were coming in. Those reports came from people who saw him in court and from a couple of different lawyers in Clay County.

Grand Jury report given

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 1:16 PM EDT

The following was released by Clay County Circuit Clerk Jeff Colburn regarding results of the August session of the Clay County Grand Jury.

The following indictments were issued. Readers are reminded these people are still presumed innocent unless they plead guilty or are found guilty by a jury in a regular session of court.

Christopher Glenn Ackles, two counts of Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

Cedric Bernard Adair, Obstruction of Justice.

Billy Wayne Atchley: Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance, three counts.
Angie Lee Beamon, Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

Gerald Bishop, Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

James Bishop, two counts of Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

Laura Ann Boyd, two counts of Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance.

Lisa Dawn Brannon, Possession of a Controlled Substance and Use/Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Bradley Ray Brown, Use/Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Marijuana First Degree.

Donald Lyn Brown, Possession of a Controlled Substance.

James Harold Bunt II, Theft of Property Second Degree, two charges, and two charges of Burglary, Third Degree.

Jessica Marie Businelle, Burglary Third Degree.

Clarification on the Alex Rochester case

I've had a couple of emails and one comment asking me why I am advocating for Alex Rochester to go to prison for drug trafficking.

I am not advocating for anyone to go to prison.

I've said all along that I don't think anyone should be in jail/prison for any non-violent drug offense. I've said it in blog posts, radio interviews and in that news article in the Anniston Star although it didn't make it into the final printed version.

What I want to make the judge answer to is why prison is perfectly all right for the children of the 'peasants' but not for the children of 'royalty'. I want the judge to be made to answer why his son wasn't charged with interstate drug trafficking when anyone else would have been. Why his son wasn't subjected to the mandatory minimums like anyone else would have been. Why asset forfeiture wasn't used against his son when anyone else would have lost everything that they own. I want the DA and the judge who presided over this case to tell us how many other people charged with similar crimes, who weren't related to a judge, received such a sweetheart deal. I think the public has a right to know the answers to those questions. We pay these mother fuckers $150,000 a year to sit in judgment of us and we are no doubt getting the short end of that stick. It's time to stop that.

I don't think prison is the place for any non-violent drug offender but I do feel that if everyone else can't be released and placed on probation and sent to a posh treatment center like Alex Rochester then Alex Rochester should join them in an inhumane, dangerous, violent, overcrowded Alabama prison.

My job here is to afflict the comfortable. The only real way to afflict them and make them feel the pain of the thousands of families they have helped to further destroy is by asking those questions. And making them answer them.

In essence I am not trying to punish the boy....I am trying to punish the fucked up Alabama judicial system by exposing them for what they are. Unfair, racist, holier-than-thou-and-my-shit-smells-better-than-yours-too bastards. I want to make them realize in a very public way how prison isn't the place for anyone for a non-violent drug offense. Call me vindictive...but I think they need a taste of their own medicine. Its the only way they learn.

Ain't karma a bitch?

Judge John E. Rochester retires?

Judge John E. Rochester has retired from the bench due to ill health (I hear). I've been hearing that he would retire for the last two years. Rochester has no business being on the bench after what happened with his drug trafficking son.

For past coverage of the Rochester clan click here.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

John Alexander Rochester Case Update

The Clay Times Journal has the list of the most recent grand jury indictments printed in today's paper. And take a wild guess whose name isn't among the indicted?
John Alexander Rochester.

The following indictments were issued during the last session of the Clay County Grand Jury. Please bear in mind all subjects are considered innocent until proven guilty by trial or until they enter a guilty plea or enter into a plea bargain with the court system.

Indictments are listed with person's name, followed by charges on which he/she is indicted.

John Kyle Taft, unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance; possession, selling, procuring controlled substances; possession of a controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia, attempting to elude police;

Michael Edwin Bassett, possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence;

Kimberly Gaither, Bennett, improper lane usage; driving under the influence (any); possession of a controlled substance;
Beniah Bradford, possession of a controlled substance;

Jeremy Earl Thomas Brown, possession of a forged instrument, fraudulent use of credit, possession of a forged instrument;

Laura Lee Champion, unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, trafficking methamphetamine; (This lady was arrested near the same time that John Alexander Rochester was and her bond was $50,000. Rochester's was $20,000 for the same charge)

Jeremy Wayne Duke, possession of a forged instrument (four counts);

Albert Marion Edmonson, failure to register as sex offender;

Thomas Jeremiah Gillum, use and possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana 1st, speeding;

Obrier Edwards Hall, possession of a controlled substance, driving while license revoked;

Jamie Suzanne Isabell, alcohol possession in vehicle, use and possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana 2nd, possession of a controlled substance;

Tammy Terrell Jones, possession of a controlled substance (two counts), attempting to elude police, speeding and reckless driving;

James Michael Mitchell, felony DUI (two counts), driving while license revoked (two counts), driving on wrong side of road;

Gregory Wayne Moncus, trafficking methamphetamine.

Matthew Brian Morgan, alcohol possession in vehicle;

Matthew Brian Smith, possession of a controlled substance;

Michael Heath Conway Pate, unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, trafficking methamphetamine;

Henry Matthew Phillips, unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, trafficking methamphetamine;

Ronald Charles Ran, use/possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance;

Clifton Eugene Shaddix, unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance, trafficking methamphetamine;

Phillip Smith, failure to register as a sex offender;

Robert Smith, distribution and sale of drugs, possession of marijuana 2nd;

Benjamin Lamar Street, public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance;

Willie Joe Simmons, sexual abuse 1st (two counts); sodomy 1st degree;

Jeremy William Alford, use/possession of a controlled substance, possession and receiving a controlled substance;

Scott Grady Pulliam, theft of property 2nd, burglary 3rd degree;

Tristan McClennon Trimm, theft of property 1st (two counts);

Johnny Wade Stevens, breaking and entering a vehicle, theft of property 2nd (three counts on each of these charges), obstructing justice;

Russell Davis, burglary 3rd degree and theft of property 1st.

Cases brought by Lineville Police Department were published separately in an earlier edition.

D.A. in John Alexander Rochester Case Steps Aside

I got word last night from a source close to the case that Clay County District Attorney Freddy Thompson has recused himself from prosecuting the John Alexander Rochester drug trafficking case. The Alabama Attorney General's Office has now taken over.

I don't know if it had anything to do with my publicizing this case so heavily, but I like to think it did and I feel like it did. If the D.A. had wanted to do the right thing then he would have stepped aside at the preliminary level and would not have been the DA at the bond hearing. That he waited until after the heat was on to step aside tells me about all I need to know.

I understand Rod Giddens, of neighboring Talladega County, will be representing John Alexander Rochester and that the D.A. prosecuting the case and the judge hearing the case will be chosen by the Attorney General's office.

I mailed the judicial inquiry complaint against Judge George C. Simpson last week and am waiting for word from them as to what they plan to do. I'll keep you all posted on the outcome. I am currently working on one against Judge John Rochester because, according to the Canon of Ethics he is responsible for making sure everyone in his court follows the law and the Canon of Ethics. Ultimately it was his duty to make Simpson step aside and he didn't do that.


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