Thursday, January 14, 2010

oops. innocent grandma spends Thanksgiving in jail

Gertrude Shaink Trudeau spent 15 days in prison for driving with a suspended license. Gertrude claimed that she was innocent, but that didn't matter. She was handcuffed and thrown into jail, where she spent Thanksgiving, apart from her children and grandchildren.

Imprisonment for driving with a suspended license is unusual, especially since 78-year-old Gertrude had no prior criminal record. Nevertheless, she was kept in prison until her arraignment in December.

It was then that the police announced their mistake: Gertrude's license had not been suspended at all. It was all a mistake. Her case had "slipped through the cracks."

County Court Judge Lee J. Seidman was livid and ordered her immediate release.

The courtroom transcript quotes Judge Seidman: "She's handcuffed like Houdini, for the record. She's got chains around her waist, and she's got handcuffs in front around her hands as if she was some kind of a violent criminal. I want her released. I think she's suffered enough at our system's mistakes."

I'm just guessing that Gertrude will be in court again soon... with her lawyers and a case that won't slip through the cracks.

for story and details: http://snipr.com/u2pec [www_miamiherald_com]
story via

picture via www.browardbulldog.org

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