Going to court from jail

Going to court from jail is one of the worst things I've ever had to do.

At 4 a.m., the deputy comes and wakes everybody up that has court and tells them to be ready by 4:30 a.m. During that half hour, you can eat breakfast, shave and brush your teeth.

Then at 4:30 a.m., another deputy will come get you and walk you across the jail through a maze of hallways to a little cell that they try to fit 50 or so people into. It's very uncomfortable. They make you sit in this cell from around 4:45 a.m. until about 6:15 a.m.

Then some more deputies will come get you and walk you up and down stairs and through long hallways until you come to a slightly bigger cell where they fit 50 to 100 people. Now you're in this cell with a bunch of sick, smelly, disgusting people from about 6:20 a.m. 'til around 8:30 a.m.

If you're unlucky enough that the judge doesn't need you, you can sit in this cell until 10 a.m.

Most people do get to go in front of the judge and when they come to get you for court from this second holding cell, they put you on an elevator which ends up putting you right behind the courtroom in yet another holding cell. This cell is made for about probably five people and I've rarely seen more than that [number].

This third holding cell is where your attorney comes to talk to you about your case. Sometimes you'll make it all the way to this holding cell just to find out that you won't be going to court.

After you're done with court, you go back to the second holding cell that you were in before and it normally takes 30 minutes to be brought there in the maximum security part of the jail. Here, they put you in a cell with other people that are housed in the same division you are in.

Sometimes, you can sit in this cell (which is the dirtiest cell of all) for 1 to 1½ hours.

For some reason (even though we walked to court), after we leave that cell, they shuttle us back to our housing area in a van. Don't ask me why they do this 'cause I have no idea.

After all this, you probably get back to your pod around 11 a.m. or 12 noon. For start to finish on average, it takes seven hours to go to court with an 8:30 a.m. court hearing.

Photo: The Pinellas County Courthouse is right next to the Pinellas County Jail on 49th Street in Clearwater, FL.