Who is Federal District Judge Charles Pannell and Why Should T.I. Care?
Rapper T.I. Harris, A.K.A. Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. Is Headed Back to Georgia to Face the Music
"Takers" fame no 'get out of jail free card'
The rapper of "Takers" movie fame and his singing songbird have now added another arrest to their climbing records. This one in LA--the second for her, umpteenth for him. Tiny, as Tamika is known, and her man of nine years were cruising Sunset Strip when local law pulled their vehicle over and the smell of marijuana prompted a vehicle search.
That led to a controlled substance suspicion and arrest, landing the two in the Gray Bar Motel, where $10,000 is the exit price. Now the husband and wife from the South are being told it is a command performance in Atlanta by T.I.'s probation officer. The "King of the South" will have to go.
Appearing before his probationary officer, T.I. has one last chance to sing and dance his way out of more slammer time, this one sure to fetch a lot more than seven months in Arkansas, or three months in a halfway house in his old stomping grounds. But more importantly, T.I. is facing one of the toughest judges in the South: Judge Charles Pannell, Jr.
Judge Charles Pannel: no cupcake
This is the judge that thought nothing of telling the state of Georgia he wasn't going to approve their plan to address hospital problems that had resulted in rapes, suicides and deaths of mentally ill patients. No, Judge Pannell felt their plan wasn't up to muster, so he rejected it, in spite of the pressure put to bear.
Instead, Judge Pannell chose to listen to and heed the complaints of those who felt the hospitals weren't doing enough to address their problems and needed a new plan of action--maybe even outside intervention.
T.I. is about to have to explain to that judge why after Pannell gave him another opportunity to "try again" he has now been arrested in LA doing just the opposite. "Good luck with that" seems like an appropriate phrase.
I've met Judge Pannell and I've watched him in action. I don't believe T.I. Harris is walking away without time on this one. It would take a miracle, for sure. I think T.I. got that last year.
Judge Pannell isn't one to allow any convicted person to make a mockery of the law. If T. I. Harris is found guilty of the charges bestowed upon him in LA, or Judge Pannell feels strongly he will be, it is bye bye probationary time and hello soap-on-a-rope. Pardon my criminal justice slang.
Professional background of Judge Pannell
Judge Pannel began his esteemed career after obtaining his B.A from the University of Georgia in '67, followed by his Juris Doctorate in '70. That led to service of sorts in the JAG Corps of the U.S. Army Reserves for a whopping 18 years. But as he served in that capacity he also went on to become an Assistant U.S. attorney from '71 to '72, leaving for private practice from '72 to '76, where he also served from '74 to '76 as a Special assistant attorney general in the law department of the State of Georgia.
The man isn't slow. He knows when he is wasting tax payer time and money on a repeat offender with no intention of "getting it together."
Even with all the fame and fortune at his disposal, as well as a serious stretch in a prison in Arkansas last year to wake him up, T.I. Harris hasn't allegedly straightened up or adhered to Judge Pannell's last words: No more drugs, no more arrests. So if LA has the goods on T.I. then you can expect Judge Pannell to "send him down the river" for it.
Judge Pannell became a district attorney in 1977 and two short years later was promoted to the position of superior court judge. He held that post, and listened to every type of criminal case for 20 years, when he was then promoted to U.S. District Court Judge.
This isn't a man who takes the law lightly. This is a 'by the book' judge and T.I. Harris, if guilty of the charges made against him recently, is about to learn what he should have learned last year--a little too late: Judge Pannell loves the law and he expects you to obey it.
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Sources: AJC.com, FJC.gov and personal knowledge
Published by Radell Smith
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15 Comments
Post a Comment@Common Sense: Ahhh...I see you've posted and went with the old "I don't have a brain so let me show everyone, defense." I'm leaving your post up anyway, even though you use profanity. It will show everyone that such mindsets actually do exist in the world. You are an excellent case study of the term I used.
P.S. Radell, "you can kiss my a$$!
their families. Please excuse in grammatical errors in my post. After all, I'm not getting paid for this. But if I was, I would win my argument!
This is in response to Radell (Idiot) Hunter. Obviously you are in capable of comprehending what you read, which may well be the reason why you rarely use the word stupid-because you are stupid! I said nothing about anyone contributing to T.I. using drugs. I simply stated that we don't live in a perfect society, and that everyone's wrong doings (including yours) has contributed to this. And yes, Blaquemaster and Common Sense are the same person (me). I submitted the first post (Blaquemaster) but there was an error, so I resubmitted the post under another name. I wasn't trying to deceive anyone, because I don't have to. And I stand behind what I say regardless of your scrutiny. I just saw a judge release Lindsay Lohan from jail back to a drug rehabilitation program. Why didn't the judge keep her in jail? Because he knows that drug addicts need therapy and treatment for their addiction, not jail or prison confinement. That is the best decision for them (the addicts), their families, and
One comment made below from "Common Sense #2 does have merit, and that is the one about addictions. People with addictions do struggle to overcome them. But can a federal judge--or any judge--allow a person to walk from justice (and endanger the public) by allowing them to return to practicing their addiction on the streets in America? Heavens no. In fact, that is exactly where T.I. was when caught again: on the streets, endangering others, breaking a road rule, no less. Addictions are a motivator for crime but they cannot be the excuse used for allowing it to continue unabated.
@Another View: Thanks for sharing. Your "Spot on" as they say across the pond. At the "Common Sense" behind door #2 (a little humor, and age revealing at that): I take it that the person "Another View" made their comment due to, well, like your name says--common sense. What else can a rational thinking person deduce from the facts that a man got arrested, had enough money and time to get help for his arrest problem, but he chose not to do it. Then, he expects the judge to let him walk again because he asks him to. That sure sounds like he thinks he is above the law to me too. And telling the other commenter on this article that they contributed to T.I. doing drugs (due to any wrong doings in their life) and TI. having to suffer the consequences for his actions is totally illogical and--I rarely use this word, but it applies: stupid.
I'm more awake now. I see Blaquemaster and the first "Common Sense" posting person are the same, as they have the exact same message, just a different moniker. To address those two: HELLO. Judge Pannell is not a racist or T.I. wouldn't have gotten mercy in his court the first time he appeared. Think that one through and you will understand that a racist doesn't refuse to be a racist one time and then show his racism another time. They are racists all the time. So we can disregard that statement as having any validity.
Good Morning readers. It is either too early in the day for me or I am seeing double. LOL. The two "Common Sense" posts below could be from the same person, but I don't know. Anyhoo. I agree with Tony and Sherri. Regardless of race everyone doing these crimes should go to jail. It is the law. Should mercy ever be shown. In some cases, yes. T.I. got mercy from this very judge earlier this year. So we see that not everyone benefits from getting mercy. Let the wrong person back out of prison and a citizen will suffer for it. The judge has no choice but to send T.I. back. T.I. didn't use his millions--and time out of jail this time--to get the "help" common sense says he needed. Why is that the judge's fault? It isn't.
This reply is in response to the previous post by "Another View." You stated that "T.I. thinks he is above the law." Did God give you special powers to know what T.I. thinks or feels? If your answer is no (as it is), then you have no right to make that statement! You also stated that "Even children know they are going to get punished when they disobey." Any person of understanding knows this. Nevertheless, we do not live in a "perfect society," and even some of your own wrong doings has contributed to this. As the Bible states: "May he who is without sin cast the first stone." Can you cast it? I didn't think so! And remember, we're talking about someone who has an addiction. Do you know what the word "addiction" means? The word "addiction" means "an uncontrollable compulsion to repeat a behavior regardless of its negative consequences." In other words, even though a person knows what they are doing is wrong (hence your baby theory), they persist in doing it regardless of the consequenc
I understand why the judge did it. T.I. thinks he is above the law. He knew the rules: do drugs, break more laws and go back to jail. What's complicated about that? Even children know they are going to get punished when they disobey.