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Woman who failed to appear more than 25 time arraigned
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A municipal court magistrate was puzzled Monday as to why a woman being arraigned on drug charges was smiling as the prosecutor recited her rather lengthy record.
Included in that lengthy record for 45-year-old Shirley Ingram of West Evergreen Avenue were more than 25 warrants issued for her in the past for failing to appear in court.
Assistant City Prosecutor Kathy Thompson said there were more. She just stopped at 25.
Ingram was arraigned via video hookup from the Mahoning County jail, and as Thompson recited a litany of past convictions and charges from Ohio and other states – she cited 24 – Ingram was smiling. Magistrate Anthony Sertick asked Ingram why.
“That smile on your face almost makes it seem like you’re proud,” Sertick said.
Ingram said she was not smiling because she was proud, but because she was never arrested for one of the charges Thompson listed – a carrying-concealed-weapon charge.
“I’m smiling because that’s something I’ve never heard of,” Ingram said.
“What about the 25 [warrants]?” Sertick asked.
Ingram said her arrest early Saturday is just the second time all year she’s been in trouble. Sertick set her bond on charges of possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia at $17,500.
Reports said Ingram was found about 2:20 a.m. Saturday at Kenmore and Glenwood avenues on the South Side in a car that had been parked in the same spot for a long time. When an officer arrived to check it out and shined a light on the car, reports said Ingram and the man inside the car with her, Terrence Tucker, 47, of Youngstown, were both fidgeting. Tucker looked like he was trying to pull up his pants, according to the police report.
A crack pipe, spoon and a dose of suspected crack cocaine were found inside the car. No one would claim responsibility for the drugs, so police arrested both on drug charges.
Tucker asked for a low bond because he said he has no money. He also failed to show for court in the past three times, Thompson said.
Tucker said he was nothing like Ingram.
“Don’t judge me by her attitude,” Tucker said.
Sertick said he would not.
“You only failed to show up three times as compared to 25,” Sertick said, then setting Tucker’s bond at $7,500.