Larry Lamb, Sr.

Was sitting in the new courtroom.  9:00 am and I had 15 sentencings.  The Judge was late, and orange jumpsuits cluttered the other side of the courtroom, with one broken down old bailiff as the only protection between me and them.  Violent ones with tattoos and big muscles.  The stamp “Coahoma County Jail” faded across their backs.  I was pissed that my date with my little fourth year med student didn’t go well this past weekend.  Worst. Date. Ever.  She passed out at the bar within the first hour, and someone’s husband had to take her home.  I ended up curbing the rims of my Audi on the pockmarked streets of downtown Jackson after some Caprice Classic pulled out in front of me.  I looked out the window to avoid the stares of the jumpsuits.  It was raining outside.

           

            The first couple of sentencings were for statutory rape.  First was a 19 year old with a 13 year old.  The second was 16 with 11.  Both were consentual.  Both got 20 years and registry as sex offenders.  The mommas were falling out in the aisle, doing the African wail.  One threw up in the courtroom.  The other said she was going to kill the DA.  Hey, don’t fuck children.  I just sat there, so pissed about my rims.  I don’t think it can be buffed out.  I needed to give Hankins Body Shop a call.

“Court calls State v. Larry Lamb Sr.”

An old white man with a cane stepped forward.  I got the next file off the stack, and walked up to the bench.

“You Larry Lamb, Sr.?”

“Yessir.”

“”You understand you have pled guilty to the sale of Dilaudid and are now standing for sentencing?”

“Yessir.”

“To the State, have you reviewed the pre-sentence investigation report?”

“Yes, Your Honor.  It is proper in all respects.”

I quickly flipped to the back of the report.

“I would like the Court to note Mr. Lamb’s four prior felony convictions, all here in Coahoma County.  Specifically, Your Honor, I would like the Court to note a conviction in ’74 for burglary, ’77 for Burglary, ’92 for Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and ’00 for three counts of Uttering Forgery.  I ask the Court to take these into consideration prior to sentencing.”

I really didn’t care.  The old bastard could barely even lean on his cane.  The jail didn’t want him, so we had just released him without bond.  You don’t want one to die on your in there.  Gets messy.  I’m surprised he showed back up.

“I see, Mr. Lamb, that you have some military service.”

“Yes, Your Honor.  I served in Vietnam.”

“Tell me about that.”

“Well, Your Honor, I was in the Navy, and in 1963 I was deployed to Vietnam on the U.S.S. Kearsarg out of Long Beach, California as a field assistant for the medics.”

“What did you do during the war?”

“Oh, lots of things….I helped set up field hospitals, transported the wounded out of the jungle and base camps.  Helped stitch up guys, administer CPR, set up IV’s, just basically help out the doctors.”

“And you received an honorable discharge in 1969?”

“Yes sir.”

“What did you do after the war?”

“Well, I first got addicted to painkillers when I was over there.  Then I started breaking into people’s houses to get them, passing bad checks, manufacturing checks, just whatever I had to do to get some drugs.  I got caught a few times. I know, Your Honor.  I accept responsibility for my actions.  I served some time in the ‘70’s.  In 1980, enrolled in the Texas School of Medicine, but I only made it two years.  Went back to doing drugs.”

“And after that?”

“I came back to Clarksdale.  Started drawing disability for some of the chemicals I was exposed to during the war.  I don’t know what they were.  Had a wife, and my son, Larry Jr.  But they’re gone.  Doctors told me a few months ago that I had cancer in my spine, and they can’t do nothing about it.  Said I’ll be on bed rest in six months.  I’ve got about a year.”

His voice quivered at that point.  The Judge looked down. 

“But I’ll accept whatever sentence you give me, Judge.”

“Let’s take a brief recess.  Counsel, I want to see you in my chambers.”

I put my silver fountain pen in my jacket pocket, and followed the public defender into a side room.  The Judge sat down and unzipped his robe.  Put his elbows on the table.

“Alright Mike, what do you want to do with this guy?”

“Well, Judge, he is a dealer.”

“He sold one pill.”

“It’s a sale charge Judge.  He sold within 1500 feet of a school. That’s an enhancement. He can’t get drug court and non-adjudication.  Barred by the statute.”

“I know that.  David, your thoughts?”

Wilbert Tisdell was a gold-toothed reverend lawyer.  Had a Cadillac and thousand dollar suits.  Was absolute hell in front of a jury, at least in this jurisdiction.  He could play that Uncle Remus routine so well.  Oh please don’t throw me in the briar patch, Brier Fox!  Before you knew it, you had your ass whipped.  I really enjoyed working with him.

“Well, Judge, he’s not a threat.  Like Mike said, it’s one pill.  I just ask, Your Honor, that he get a lot of probation.”

“DA object to that?  You don’t want him to die in my prison, do you?”

“No sir.”

“Good.  That’s what we’ll do.”

And we walked back out in the courtroom.  Everyone always stares at us, trying to tell from facial expression what kind of deal was reached.  I looked at Lamb’s white shoes.

“Why were you selling these pills, Lamb?”

“Well, the VA had given them to me, and I don’t get enough from disability to live on.  Not even enough to pay my rent.  So I’d sell one or two on the side to cover bills.”

“Alright.”

The Judge slowly leaned back in his overstuffed chair and put his glasses on the desk, as he always did before changing lives.

“The Court sentences you to time served plus ten years of post release supervision in the custody and control of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.  Five of those years of post release supervision will be supervised.  Five will not.  You are to report to your probation officer every month.  The terms and conditions of your post-release supervision are as follows.  You will commit no further offense against the State of Mississippi.  You will avoid people and places of disreputable character.  You will never again have in your custody any firearm or other deadly weapon as outlined by federal and state statutes.  You will report to your probation officer when directed.  You will waive extradition from any other state to this state.  I am not going to demand that you stay in the State of Mississippi in case you have to go out of state for medical treatment.  I order that you pay court costs and the costs of indigent defense.  You are fined $1,000 to be paid to the Circuit Clerk of Coahoma County.  Mr. Carr, can you think of anything else?”

“There is a crime lab fee of $150.00, Judge.”

The Judge looked over and half glared at me.  I just shrugged.

“You are further ordered to pay a crime lab fee of $150.00 for the cost of analysis of the substance.  Anything further for this defendant?”

“No, Your Honor.”

“No, Your Honor.”

“The Court is in recess on this issue.  Good luck, Mr. Lamb.”

“Thank you, Your Honor.”

And Larry Lamb slowly clicked his way out of the courtroom and into the rain.