Columbus Judge Nicole Clinkscales entered no contest pleas Tuesday in Lowndes County Justice Court to disorderly conduct and disobeying a police officer.
Clinkscales, a longtime attorney, was found guilty and fined $100 for the 2009 incident. A no contest plea means she accepted the sentence without admitting any wrongdoing. The court also charged Clinkscales court costs, bringing the total fine to $376.50.
Police received a 911 call June 23, 2009, that Clinkscales was “beating her son with a belt” outdoors in her neighborhood, according to a CPD report obtained at the time of the incident.
Her son, Jalen Parker, “did state that his mother was upset about some damage that had been done to the house,” Capt. Fred Shelton wrote in the report.
In an interview with The Dispatch on Monday, Clinkscales said children were “bullying” her pre-teen son.
“He was trying to make friends with these kids and they were (repeatedly) coming over and forcing their way into our house. Several items had come up missing,” she said.
“I went over to a parent”s house to ask her to please keep her children away from my house and told her Jalen”s going to be disciplined because I found out he wasn”t being truthful with me. I disciplined him with a belt, which I thought was appropriate. Apparently that parent did not like the fact I was disciplining my child or the fact that I asked her to keep her children out of my house.”
The mother, who was also the 911 caller, later told police she had asked Clinkscales to stop the beating when it became “out of control,” Shelton”s report states. The woman, followed by Clinkscales, drove to the 400 block of East Gaywood Avenue, where Patrol Officer Lance Luckey was flagged down.
There are several contradictions between Clinkscales” account and the police report.
Clinkscales claimed Monday she was the one who flagged down Luckey, while the report and police sources claim the caller flagged him down.
The report also states Clinkscales approached the officer and caller and began screaming at them. Luckey asked her six times to be quiet and get in her car, but she “refused,” according to the report and other sources in the police department.
In Clinkscales” version, she was calm and was obeying the officer.
“The officer said something like, ”Shut up and get in your car,”” she said Monday. “As I moved toward my car I told him he did not have to speak to me that way. I was not belligerent. I felt I was being treated with less dignity than anybody deserves. I am a mother trying to protect my son and protect my home.”
She added: “I did say ”I”m a lawyer. I know my rights,” which I shouldn”t have had to say because, as a citizen in a non-volatile, non-hostile situation, I didn”t think I should have been spoken to that way.”
The incident was taped by police, although the tapes could not be obtained by press time today.
Clinkscales and her West Point attorney, Nebra Porter, declined to comment about the case after she was sentenced.
But Monday, Clinkscales proclaimed her innocence.
“I do not think I disobeyed the officer in the sense of the law and so I don”t think it was wrong,” she said then. “Could there have been better judgment on behalf of myself and the officer? Probably. But I don”t think I”m guilty of violating the law. I wasn”t impeding the officer”s ability to do his job. I was the one, I thought, who needed help.”
Dispatch reporter Jason Browne contributed to this story.
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