What About My Child?” — Judge West Responds After Shocking Drug Test

Good morning. Are you Melissa Taylor? What do you have on your Oh, this is my son Brandon Taylor. Uh-huh. Why did you wear that this morning? Because he's he's my entire world and he's missing today. Okay. Ms. Taylor, this is your initial No, you were here before. Did you get someone hired? Ma'am. Did you get someone hired? >> No, I have contacted four different times. I have a printout of the work I got, all the information. They're extremely expensive. I'm not going to be able to get the funds gathered for that. >> Who'd you talk to? Um I spoke to them. Where? In my phone. Where did you Okay. Did Did you talk to someone since that last court date? The last hearing. Uh-huh. And you asked me to talk to them and get three quotes. Uh-huh. >> [clears throat] >> That was what I did. I couldn't get that turned in after um Okay. If I test you this morning, you going to have anything in your system? Have a seat in the jury box. We're going to test. Whoa, this hearing just flipped instantly. What started as a routine bond check turned into a courtroom disaster the second that drug test came back positive. And notice the judge's reaction here. No hesitation, no second chances. In bond hearings, violating release conditions is basically the fastest way to lose the court's trust. Ms. Taylor, you tested positive for amphetamines, methamphetamines, and ecstasy. And so at this time, I'm going to find that that is a violation obviously of your bond conditions, and I'm going to raise your bond in your case to $100,000. Well, let me look at it real quick. I'm going to Let's see. In one of your cases, you're charged with assault on a peace officer, the other credit or debit card abuse. In each of those cases, I'm raising your bond to $100,000 in each case. If you make the bonds in those cases, you are ordered to wear a drug patch at all time, get it tested at the appropriate times, and then we will move forward with your case. >> Can I ask a question, please? Mhm. Um am I about to be arrested in Yeah, you're going to into custody right now. Okay. I have a child. You shouldn't be using ecstasy and methamphetamine if you have a child. You can go back with the bailiff. Go back with the bailiff right now. Go back with the bailiff. Um go [clears throat] with the bailiff. And this is the moment the emotional weight really hits. Melissa mentions her child right as deputies move in to take her into custody. But from the judge's perspective, the issue is public safety and compliance. Courts take drug use during bond extremely seriously, especially when children are involved. You can literally hear the tension in the room. My child is missing, and he is with a terrible person. >> So, you're Denzel Lewis? And Mr. Lewis, you were previously in court, entered a plea of guilty to the third-degree felony offense of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. The agreement was for a cap of 6 years I've received the pre-sentence report. Has everyone had an opportunity to review that report? >> Yes, your honor. Yes, sir. Are there any additions or corrections? Uh just argument from the defense. >> Nothing to state. Um in addition, I have received the jail incident reports, which have been turned over to counsel. Have you both had an opportunity to review those? >> I have. Um also, I have received this morning and now reviewed, it looks like four um letters of support that Ms. Holmes brought today. Mr. Smith, have you had an opportunity to review those as well? All right, then Ms. Holmes, you may proceed. Thank you, Anna. And looking at the PSI report, Mr. Lewis does have obviously previous criminal history spanning from juvenile and to adulthood. The prior that he has, it appears with burglary of a habitation. It looks like three cases, but they were they ran concurrently >> [snorts] >> and which he was placed on probation and had a revocation in which he was sentenced to eight years in TDC. He has since been discharged from that, your honor. And after being released, there was this traffic stop which resulted in a firearm being found in the vehicle in which Mr. Lewis was driving. Obviously, in reading his response to the PSI officer, I would allow him to elaborate more on that. Obviously, he did plead guilty to the offense, taking responsibility, and we are seeking probation in this case, your honor. We believe that at this point in Mr. Lewis's life, he understands obviously being incarcerated before that is not somewhere that he wants to go back and spend potentially six additional years of his life. He would like this opportunity on probation to have that opportunity to spend and get back on track with employment, to take care of his family and provide for his family. In reading those support letters, your honor, he does have support here from family and friends in the community that are willing to step up and help him to make sure that he is a productive citizen and he gets back on track and understand that there is just certain things with being a convicted felon that he cannot do. And I think at this point he understands that, Your Honor, and we are asking that the court give him the opportunity to be placed on probation and to finish his term while on probation. Well, I guess before we go any further, I want to make sure I understand because Mr. Um Lewis, your version of this is that it wasn't your gun, it was in your girlfriend's purse, and you didn't even know her purse was in the car much Now, the second case takes a completely different turn. The defense is trying hard to sell rehabilitation over incarceration. Family support letters, employment goals, second chances, but here's the problem. Judges don't just listen to words, they compare them against behavior. And that upcoming exchange, it changes everything. Plus the gun was in the purse in the car. So, either you are guilty or not guilty of the offense. And so, if you knew about it, then you're guilty. If you didn't, then a jury needs to decide. I'm pleading guilty because I was driving the car, and by me driving and then finding the gun, they they I But the laws But the laws That's not what the law is. Okay? So, you don't get to just take a deal or plead guilty because that's what you want to do. When you were here you stood in front of that clerk, you put your hand up, swore that you were going to tell the truth, and I said, "Are you pleading guilty freely and voluntarily? Are you pleading guilty because you did what they charged you with?" >> No, I wasn't. And I stood up. Okay. All right, Mr. Smith. This is a huge legal moment right here. The judge is basically saying you can't plead guilty just because it feels convenient. In criminal court, a guilty plea has to match the actual facts of the case. If the defendant truly didn't know the gun was there, then legally the case should go to trial, not end in a plea deal. The judge is locking him into his sworn statements. Uh judge I think he's been given probation before. Uh it was not successful. He's been in a lot of actions in the jail clearly show he doesn't have any respect for authority or rules. I don't feel like he's a proper candidate for probation. So we're asking for a 6-year sentence in TDC. So Mr. Lewis, one thing I noticed in several of these letters that friends and family members said, uh I think three of them actually used the word respectful, that you're a respectful young man. What has been going on in our jail is the furthest thing from respectful that I've seen. >> [snorts] >> The number of times, and the fact that I have to say this out loud, the number of times that you choose to masturbate in front of the officers on purpose is ridiculous. Must be going to jail. Sure. The case wasn't on me. Somebody else had a case and the woman even talked to the lieutenant to get it removed up off of my file, but it still shows up. It was It was not on me. If somebody >> It's more than one time. But I So [clears throat] hold on. So on April 4th, let's just go through them. On April 14th you were in trouble for not being in your bunk that you had been given several orders to go to your bunk. >> [clears throat] >> You proceeded to walk around yelling "Bitch, stop talking to me." So that's from April 14th, last week. Then, on April 7th, it alleges that you had your hands in your pants moving in and out back and forth, that you were told to take your hands out of your pants, and that you had been told before or this officer had been briefed on the fact that you were known for doing this. Your response, according to this, is that that person should have asked the officers how big your >> [clears throat and snorts] >> penis, I'm not anyway. >> [cough] >> Since they want to be talking about you, they should have told them about that, too. Then, on March 25th, before that, a week, uh to another officer, and these aren't the same officers, it's not the same person saying the same thing about you, somebody has some vendetta against you. So, on March 25th, started to do rounds, noticed that you were watching the person doing rounds, had his hand over his midsection as if he was rubbing on himself. March 18th, another different officer, noticed monitoring the bunk, there you are laying on your back stroking your penis in a back and forth motion, told not to do so. January 24th, 2025, you're in trouble for not walking around for walking around This one, noticed the way you're laying on your bunk in a way making motions under the blanket, uh walked past, turned around to see if you were still doing it, then you supposedly look at this officer and say, "I'm not doing anything." While you lifted the blanket up for that officer to see it. Um January 4th, >> [snorts] >> another time uh being told to uh be quiet, do what you're supposed to do. Didn't do it that day. Jan- uh December 29th, another issue of not following the rules. December 17th, another infraction for um arguing and not following the rules. So, if there was one time when they got the wrong person, that's one thing. That's over and over again. You disrespecting female officers who were in there just doing their job. I don't want to sleep on my bed. Sir, I don't want you really We're really going to do that? You asked me and I'm telling you, Judge. I'll sleep on my Yeah, at this point probation is basically slipping away in real time. The judge just laid out a long list of jail infractions, disrespect toward officers, and repeated rule violations. And notice what's happening strategically. The court is comparing the glowing support letters to the documented jail behavior, and the contradiction is destroying the defense argument. 6 years suddenly sounds a lot more likely. Uh-huh. I have solicitors. I have them on my mind. I don't do that. Them people write whatever they They're making this up on you. That's terrible of them to do that. They pull my cases up. I don't have any cases on none of that. I don't have any time. I'm not on no restriction on none of that. Up in the county. You were off parole. The way I do the math, less than a year. So, you did your whole 8 years? What'd you do in prison to have to do your whole 8 years? I was in C unit. For doing what? Just tattooing, uh contraband. Not following the rules while you're in prison. I'm going to find that you previously entered your plea of guilty freely and voluntarily. Find sufficient evidence to find you guilty, and at this time find you guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by felon. Sentence you to a term of 6 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Corrections. You will receive credit on that sentence for any time that you've been in custody that the law gives you the right to receive. I'm handing you the trial court certification that shows this was an agreement that I followed and so you've waived your right to appeal and you're lucky that this was the agreement. Um Mr. Smith was generous. The fact is this you could have been enhanced to a second-degree felony because of your history and you're lucky you weren't. Um I have also handed you a written admonishment regarding your ineligibility to possess a firearm or ammunition. Obviously, you know this but I'm required to read this to you. Because of the judgment entered against you, you're ineligible under Texas law to possess a firearm or ammunition. Possession of a firearm or ammunition could lead to charges against you. Firearm is a legal term and you should read the written admonishment I provided you to see what devices qualify as a firearm. If you have questions about the laws that make you ineligible to possess a firearm or ammunition or about how long it lasts, you can talk to Ms. Holmes. You can go with the Bayless.