A Local Example of How Corrupt Our Legal System Really Is

Norman I was arrested once on July 3rd while laying on my couch at a residence that I was living in at the time. I asked as to why and I couldn't get an answer other than there was a warrant and it was told to the officer to pick me up and take me to the southern regional jail. 

While being transferred I realized that I wouldn't be going to see a magistrate and I was taken to Beckley.

 It was on a Sunday afternoon around 3 or 4 pm and I spent a week there. I never spoke to a magistrate or anything.

 If it wasn't for my mother finally calling Walt Helmick and letting him know on the following Friday morning and telling him that I was sleeping on the floor and had not been given my medicine for my severe sciatic problem from my vehicle accident in 1993. 

I had been there from Sunday the 3rd to Thursday the 7th and hadn't talked to a sole from the magistrate to hear as to why I was even there.

 Thursday the 7th I finally told my mother of the conditions I was in and the pain that I had been dealing with. So at 8:00 pm on the 7th my mother Nancy Hager told me that on Friday morning of the 8th she was calling Walt to tell him about how neither her or myself could get an answer or was even able to get a magistrate to give an answer as to why I couldn't get an arraignment. 

After my mother talked to Walt at 9:00 am on the 8th it was within the hour that a correctional officer came into the pod that I was being housed in which was a felony pod instead of a misdemeanor pod called for me to roll my stuff up. It was much besides a mattress and a sheet because I couldn't get a pillow or blanket because they said there were over staffed. 

They wakes me back up to processing and informed me I was going to be released. 

I was an hour and a half from home and wasn't able to cal for someone to come and get me until I could get outside to use the pay phone.

 They wouldn't give me my cash that I had been processed with. They gave me what was left after they charged me 28 dollars a day for the 5 days of being there and released me with a 40 dollars check.

I wouldn't leave until they gave me a release form or paper work which they refused first but I refused to leave until they did because I told them that I had been there for a week and hadn't spoken to a magistrate of any kind and still hadn't been told what I was even there for. 

Finally I got my release form and walked outside and used the pay phone to call my mother and made arrangement for someone to pick me up. While waiting I had to walk 1/2 mile down to the closet gas station where I had to go Thru the embarrassment of cash a check from the SRJ just so I could get some deodorant. After getting that I walked the 1/2 mile back up to the parking lot of the SRJ and waited on my ride to come and pick me up. 

After all of this after I got back to Marlinton the only answer I could get from anyone was that I had broken a part of my bail that I was on because I had went to lake Moo Maw which was considered leaving the state. It was later dropped in court and my bail and its conditions was put back in place. 

So I know all too well about being picked up and taken away with out reason and without having the right to see a magistrate. The officer that picked me up would only tell me that sheriff Alkier had told him that he wanted me picked up before the holiday. 

Magistrate Beverage was over my case. Also it was awful funny that once the officer reached Droop Mountain he turned his radio channel and called Sheriff Alkier at his home and told him that subject was in custody and was in the process of being transported to SRJ. 

The high Sheriff responded by saying on the radio good job and thanks. It was extremely embarrassing for me and my family. So I know all to well of how it fells of the wrong doing due to the part of our Crooked legal system.

Feel free to ask my mother Nancy or my father Roger because they both called numerous times for those 5 days to the magistrates office and asked why I was taken there and when I would be able to speak to a magistrate. 

I will say this though through my entire process the only honest person was magistrate Webb. 

She could see the corrupt things going on by the sheriffs office and then prosecuting Attorney Walt Weiford.

 He later informed that the best thing that I could do was to get a job out of town and take it or I would eventually be taking a longer stay in jail.

I had a good job at the local cable company at the time and had to quit and go out of town to work. All because I wouldn't keep my mouth shut over a case they had against my ex wife Annette and how they were covering up everything about how she had my son involved while she was doing some unlawful activities.

 All I was trying to do was get custody of my son to get him out of harms way. I even had certain state police officers tell me that I had ruined a good police investigation not even caring about the child's welfare.

I wish I could go back because I wouldn't have left from being scared of going to jail and I would have gotten an attorney and sued the county had pursued on getting several officers, the sheriff, and the one magistrates JOBS.--Steven Irvine

Editor's Note:  You story is interesting because we have reason to believe that we have a "new" Kathy Beverage, a magistrate who doesn't mind signing a warrant for a nighttime arrest.  

The Commentator is monitoring the situation.  We have already gotten one magistrate admonished by the Judicial Commission.  Complaints have been filed on the other one.