Fort Lauderdale Criminal Attorney Blog
The man accused of being the shotgun-wielding robber in a two-county string of Dunkin’ Donuts robberies repeatedly barked like a dog at a county judge this afternoon during a court hearing.
“I would suggest you take this more seriously,” Judge John Hurley told James Herard, 19, who replied “ruff” several times. Herard barked again after Hurley explained his rights as a criminal defendant. “I’m going to consider your bark as an acknowledgment of what I just told you,” the judge said.
Police said the five men were responsible for at least four robberies last week, three at Dunkin’ Donuts shops and one at a 7-Eleven.
The most violent occurred at a Delray Beach Dunkin’ Donuts on Nov. 26.
Four gunmen in masks, gloves and hooded sweatshirts blasted four people with shotgun rounds, two in the face. A driver also was shot after flashing his high beams at the robbers as they crossed the street in front of him.
Jackson, Herard and Weatherspoon, who have criminal records of varying degrees, confessed to the robberies, police said.
If you have not seen the actual video of this then you must click here to watch it. This video essentially depicts what a magistrate hearing looks like in Broward County. In Broward County our magistrate hearings, or bond hearing as they are sometimes called are done via video conferencing. They are usually held on the second floor of the Broward Main Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. The Defendant’s are video conferenced from the Broward Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale to a Judge, in this case Judge John Hurley, who is sitting in the magistrate courtroom in the main Broward Courthouse.
At a magistrate hearing in Broward County the judge is likely to review any available police reports. These reports are usually referred to as probable cause affidavits. The judge will then advise a criminal defendant of all their legal rights such as the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, ect. At this point the judge will usually make a bond determination based off of various factors such as the crime charged and/or any other factors the judge determines relevant.
Judge John Hurley is a new Broward County Judge. I am not quite sure
what he was thinking when the Defendant, James Herard, began barking at him as he was trying to advise him of his constitutional rights. Regardless, Broward Judge John Hurley got the job done.
As far as the barking goes, that is certainly different than the “yes sir – no sir” most are used to hearing in the courtroom. The big question most ask me after watching or hearing about Mr. James Herard are:
1) did he do this as a ploy so people question his competency?
or
2) was it simply a sign of disrespect for law and order?
Regardless, one thing is for sure. The defense attorney for Mr. Herard is likely to pursue finding the answer to that question via an evaluation from a medical professional.
If you would like to see the booking information of Mr. James Herard from the Broward County Sheriff please click here and enter the appropriate booking information.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a criminal offense such as robbery, burglary, or any other crime, and would like to speak with me, attorney Richard Ansara, then click here. Thank you.
