WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC-Charlotte citizens say they're silenced in court

Charlotte citizens say they're silenced in court

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - An accused Mecklenburg County repeat offender, Grady Steele, was in court Friday for various charges, including felony accounts of breaking and entering into cars, possession of stolen goods and possession of marijuana.

A neighborhood group we've featured on WBTV before, CharMeck Court Watch. was there to monitor Steele's hearing.

"We hope it makes a difference when we show up in court and let the entire justice system see that we care about whether or not these offenders are let back out or kept in jail," said Marcus Philemon, a founder of the grass-roots organization.

For the first time in the group's 15 months of attending hearings of accused repeat offenders, they were told they no longer have a voice in court.

Mecklenburg County Public Defender Dean Loven cited statute 15A-1334, which reads:

"No person other than the defendant, his counsel, the prosecutor, and one making a presentence report may comment to the court on sentencing unless called as a witness by the defendant, the prosecutor, or the court ...may comment."

So, CharMeck Court Watch was silenced.

"They are not a party to the case," Loven told WBTV Anchor Molly Grantham.  "They are not the victim.  This is just like a taxpayer doesn't have the right to sue the government because they don't like the way their taxes are being spent."

Loven says the bottom line is that the law states they don't get a voice unless they're a victim.

Steele did get a plea deal.  The Assistant District Attorney in charge of prosecuting him said his hands were tied.  Bryan Crocker says that Steele was a "Class I" felon and because of that classification, Steele couldn't get jail time.

"I think things went as best as they could, given the only way they could go with the constraints of the structured guidelines," Crocker said.  "I'd rather him get jail time, but we are constrained by the chart as it's written."

Click the red camcorder to see the full report.