[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Hi, everyone, I'm dan abrams,
And this is "courtcam."
- You ready to take the plea?
[group shouting] - don't run.
- [bleep] damn!
- I'm killing all you [bleep]!
- I hope you die in prison as well.
♪ ♪
[subdued music]
- First up, we're at the meigs county courthouse
In decatur, tennessee, for a family court case.
33-year-old rashad hawkins was just given jail time
For failing to pay child support.
But before he could be taken into custody...
[music intensifies]
He dips out of the second-floor courtroom,
Drops by the reception desk,
♪ ♪
Then makes his way to the exit.
♪ ♪
Since it looks like there's nowhere to run,
This deputy follows in leisurely pursuit.
But hawkins hops over
The second-floor balcony railing,
Quickly lowers himself down,
♪ ♪
Then "drops by"
On an unsuspecting potted plant below.
♪ ♪
The deputy appears to be weighing his options.
♪ ♪
But following hawkins down is not one of them.
Amazingly, after the second-story drop,
Both hawkins and the potted plant
Bounce back into place as if nothing happened.
Then hawkins-- who miraculously
Never lets go of the paperwork he's holding--
Simply disappears.
♪ ♪
Back above, the deputy and others
Look around in disbelief.
And below, a few people peek out
To see what the commotion's all about.
[dramatic music]
For the next 20 days,
Hawkins was a wanted man on the run.
But his vanishing act came to an end
More than 200 miles away,
When an officer responded to a trespassing complaint
From neighbors reporting a man spotted in their backyards.
According to the police report,
Hawkins again ran to avoid capture,
But was eventually arrested
Following an altercation with an officer.
In addition to his outstanding warrant in tennessee,
Hawkins was hit with a long list of new charges,
Including criminal trespassing,
Resisting arrest,
And third-degree assault on a police officer.
Hawkins is being held without bail
Until his next court hearing.
[dramatic music]
- Milton watts?
- Next, we're in berea municipal court.
♪ ♪
The defendant-- 21-year-old milton watts--
Has turned himself in
After a warrant was issued for his arrest
For failure to appear on a domestic violence charge.
♪ ♪
- You were supposed to be here last month.
You did not appear. Why weren't you here?
- My mom didn't show up.
Somebody died in the family.
There was no reason for me to be here.
- Well, it's not an engraved invitation, son.
It's a court order.
♪ ♪
- Things are clearly off to a rocky start
Between watts and judge chris green.
But watts seems comfortable
Handling the situation on his own.
- Your attorney withdrew,
So you'll have to hire an attorney.
- You're a lawyer? - Nope.
♪ ♪
- Unfortunately for watts,
His grasp on the legal process seems spotty at best.
- Do you want to talk to me of having a bond with me?
What do you want to tell me?
- Bond.
- Judge green, who's known for his no-nonsense style,
Doesn't seem particularly receptive to the attitude.
- That's gonna cost you 30 days in the county jail
For contempt.
Cuff him. If you've got the cuffs.
- Hold on, it's $5,000 cash surety bond
Subject to the temporary protection order.
- Watts' remarks have already cost him dearly.
And now he doubles down.
- He just swore at the judge.
Can I give you a piece of advice?
- What?
- You can either make life easy
Or you can make life hard.
- That's 60. You wanna go for 90?
- That's 90 more.
- Stop it. Milton.
- That's 180. - Milton.
- That's 360.
- Yeah, I'm at about a year right now
In contempt, so...
♪ ♪
- Watts' mother and sister attempt to intervene,
But there is no stopping the foul-mouthed tirade.
- I don't care.
- Okay.
- Okay. Okay.
- [bleep] [bleep] - [indistinct]
- [bleep] [bleep] son of [bleep].
- Stop it.
[indistinct chatter]
- Stop. Just let him
Do whatever he wants him to. - Listen. Listen.
- Deputies and other court staff
Quickly arrive at the courtroom for backup.
- Milton!
- Despite the judge going all the way up to 360 days
In the heat of the moment,
Once watts calmed down,
The judge ultimately decided to reduce the sentence
To 90 days in jail--
Or four days per four-letter word.
♪ ♪
For the initial domestic violence charge
He was originally in court for,
He later pled no contest
And was sentenced to five days in jail.
- Next, we're in tampa, florida,
For a zoom court hearing.
- All right, so we're here on
State of florida v. Jennifer carvajal.
♪ ♪
- The 24-year-old's facing serious charges--
Including dui manslaughter--
After a passenger in her car was killed
And two others severely injured
In a high-speed car accident.
♪ ♪
This police dashcam video
Shows the car driven by carvajal
Traveling at 111 miles per hour
On a florida highway.
[traffic noises]
[police siren blaring]
After clocking her speed, the officer hits the lights
And begins the pursuit.
[intense music]
Down the freeway, he catches up.
But as he closes in to pull carvajal over,
She whips the car onto the shoulder,
And then skids out of control.
[tires screeching]
♪ ♪
[crashes]
♪ ♪
After the car jerks to the right,
A second camera on the officer's cruiser
Shows carvajal's car speeding off the highway
And hitting an embankment,
Sending it airborne.
After flying over a fence,
The car crash-lands into a car dealership lot,
Hitting a parked truck and then a light pole.
[crashes]
[siren blaring]
At the scene, emergency personnel discover
That two passengers were ejected from the car.
Another was seriously injured inside.
And jennifer carvajal--
The only one wearing a seatbelt--
Had just minor injuries.
Her blood alcohol level was later recorded at .10,
Slightly above the .08 legal limit.
[somber music]
One of the passengers thrown from the car,
Carvajal's 22-year-old cousin, did not survive.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
Now at the hearing, judge catherine catlin
Will determine if carvajal should continue
To be held without bond.
- So ms. Carvajal,
On the one count of dui manslaughter
That still did not have a bond on it,
I'm gonna grant the state's motion for pretrial detention
And hold you without bond on that one count.
- Part of the state's recommendation
To hold carvajal in custody
May be because this is not the first time
She's faced a dui manslaughter charge.
The entire situation's a horrific flashback
To seven years earlier
When, at 16, carvajal pleaded no contest
To a charge of dui manslaughter
In an adult court,
And faced sentencing two years later
After she turned 18 years old.
Carvajal was sentenced to five years in prison
With an additional five years of probation,
Probation that was still in effect
When the second incident occurred.
In addition to having carvajal held without bond,
The state then makes another request.
- The state is requesting that the defendant be ordered
Not to make contact
With either of the two living victims
Or to the mother of the deceased victim
In this case--pedro carvajal.
And his mother is present with us today, your honor.
- Both carvajal and the victim's mother
Can be seen wiping away tears as the family tragedy
And no contact order is discussed.
[emotional music]
- 'cause it's family, obviously some people
Without even controlling the wrong with good intentions
Just trying to check on people may very well run afoul
Of unintentionally violating a court order
But it's not because of my client's directing anyone.
- It is gonna be part of the order from today.
So ms. Pizarro, if you'll just add it to the written order
So there's no confusion.
- Judge catlin would approve the no contact order.
Jennifer carvajal was held without bond,
And her trial is currently pending.
[dramatic music]
Next, we head to family court in syracuse, new york.
[lighthearted music]
The plaintiffs are mark and christina rotondo
Who have filed a suit against michael rotondo--
Their own son.
The offense?
The 30-year-old has been living with his parents
Rent-free for eight years,
And they want him out.
So instead of serving him another home-cooked meal,
They've served him five letters
Asking him to please leave.
But rotondo claims he's no deadbeat--
That he just needs more time to find a job,
Which he says he needs to support his young son
Who lives with the boy's mother.
The parents even offered rotondo $1,100
To help him pay for a new place to stay--
Which he gladly accepted,
But promptly used for living "expenses."
So mom and dad take their boomerang kid to court.
The millennial whose story was thoroughly covered
By a local news crew
Is representing himself,
While his parents have hired an attorney.
- They have no obligation to provide support.
He's well over the age of 21.
♪ ♪
- Rotondo's asking judge donald greenwood
For six months before he has to leave.
♪ ♪
- The petitioner is required to serve
A six-month notice to quit onto me for--
To seek removal of myself from the premises.
And the reason for this is because
Anyone who is not the tenant
Who is a family member
Who is depending on the homeowners for support
Requires six months to basically
Procure the means
So that they may support themselves on their own.
- While his parents look on, seemingly wondering,
"why doesn't michael put this much effort
Into finding a job?"
It looks like rotondo may have the judge on his side.
- A six month notice to quit is a reasonable amount of time
For someone who has been depending on
Persons for support--
You need six months to procure
What you would need to support yourself.
- They're supporting me with housing.
- After both sides present their case,
Judge greenwood makes his decision.
That somebody in this day and age
Could be in somebody else's home
With a six-month notice before they have to leave.
- The judge rules against rotondo,
Who has no choice now but to box up his stuff
And move into an airbnb.
♪ ♪
On the bright side,
He's also offered a store-level job
By the coo of a national pizza chain.
It is unclear whether rotondo accepted it.
[car horn honks]
- I want ms. Davis to know I do not hate her.
I have forgiven her.
[intense music]
- Next, we're in cincinnati, ohio,
For the sentencing of samantha davis.
♪ ♪
The 28-year-old was found guilty
Of two counts of aggravated drug possession
And two counts of vehicular homicide
After she lost control of her truck
And sent it careening off an overpass--
Crushing an oncoming car below.
♪ ♪
Inside that vehicle,
A 67-year-old woman and her adult daughter
Were killed instantly.
♪ ♪
Davis was ejected from her truck
But survived with minor injuries.
At the time, she was driving on a suspended license,
And investigators believe she crushed and snorted
Prescription pain pills prior to the accident.
♪ ♪
Now at sentencing, everett miller,
Whose ex-wife and daughter were killed in the accident,
Shares a victim impact statement.
♪ ♪
- Losing a child in any case is painful.
My children have lost both their mother and their sister,
And every day it is difficult.
I live with the knowledge that I will not get to hold her,
Or to hug her,
Or to hear her say to me,
"hey, dad," when she greeted me.
[emotional music]
- Amid his own grief,
Miller then acknowledges samantha davis,
Who can be seen crying just a few feet away.
- I want ms. Davis to know I do not hate her.
I have forgiven her.
I think justice, however, needs to be served.
♪ ♪
- Britney miller, who lost her mother and grandma,
Then addresses the court.
- I have gone through many emotions
In regards to samantha davis.
I have compassion for her children and family,
And I would never wish on anyone
What she's going through.
I also feel that there needs to be consequences
For what her actions have caused.
- Before learning her sentence,
Samantha davis gives a tearful apology.
- I want to apologize to both your family and mine
For the ripple effect this has caused.
All the pain, heartache, grief,
And all the lost time.
All the tears and the sleepless nights.
All the prayers.
So much you'll never get back.
I can't pretend to know the pain or hardships
You have all endured these last three years.
Although I may have my own,
My mind is always flashing back to you
And reminding myself that
Regardless how bad I might think I have it,
You guys definitely have it worse.
- Facing a possible maximum sentence
Of 18 years in prison,
Davis' fate is now in the judge's hands.
- It's very hard to assign a number for someone's life.
I'm looking at the role where her actions caused
Reckless behavior.
The number for counts two and four
Of the ohio department of correction:
Four.
Total: Eight.
[dramatic music]
- Samantha davis' total sentence
Is eight years in prison.
Four years for each count
Of aggravated vehicular homicide.
She was also sentenced to two years
For the aggravated drug possession charge,
To be served concurrently.
Davis later filed a successful appeal--
Getting her vehicular homicide convictions thrown out
Based on ineffective assistance of counsel.
A new trial will be conducted unless prosecutors succeed
In getting the appeals court to reconsider its decision.
Until then, samantha davis remains in custody.
- [crying]
[breathlessly] I'm so sorry.
[sobs]
- Next, we take you to wilson county, texas,
Where the man on trial is typically
On the other side of the witness stand.
Attorney mark benavides has been charged
With six counts of human trafficking.
♪ ♪
Human trafficking involves the use of force,
Fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor
Or commercial sex act.
Benavides, a married father of two,
Allegedly traded legal representation
For sexual favors over a period of six years
With at least six women.
The first to officially accuse the attorney
Claimed benavides asked her for sex in a jury room
Just minutes before she pled guilty to a felony.
- He had me go in the back in the jury room
And we had, um, sex.
And then, like, afterwards, we washed up in the bathroom.
He said that I had to keep my attorney happy.
♪ ♪
- Along with the allegations came some hardcore evidence
In the form of dvd recordings benavides made
Of the alleged trysts.
When police brought him in for questioning,
Benavides snuck in a desperate call to his brother
In an attempt to destroy
The potentially damning videos.
♪ ♪
- But it was too late.
When police search benavides' home,
They discover 246 pornographic dvds.
♪ ♪
Because the state believed benavides coerced the women
Into having sex for legal services,
He was charged with human trafficking.
♪ ♪
If found guilty, benavides could face
Anywhere from 25 years to life in prison.
He pled not guilty.
At trial, the prosecution focused
On benavides' abuse of his position of power.
- You are gonna hear he transported women.
You're gonna hear evidence that he drove them
To the place where these things happened.
He used our justice system to acquire his women.
- Six women came forward to describe the arrangements
And how benavides was always in control.
- I never paid him money to--
I had--I always went to court
And after court, we'd go to the room.
So that's how I took care of it.
I act like I liked it.
And I wanted to make him happy.
'cause I had to. I mean,
Or else I end up back in jail.
- When the state played some of the dvds
Showing rough sex between benavides
And an alleged victim,
One of the jurors became so upset
She passed out and had to be removed.
♪ ♪
After hearing and seeing all the evidence,
The jury returned with a verdict.
- We, the jury, find the defendant mark benavides
Guilty.
- During the penalty phase before sentencing,
Benavides attempted to show some remorse for his actions.
- I'm embarrassed.
Humiliated.
I'm asking you to have mercy and give me the minimum.
- [breathes heavily]
Because I'm so--
[cries]
I'm so sorry. [cries]
♪ ♪
- Benavides was able to avoid the maximum penalty--
But not by much--
As the judge announced his sentence.
- The court sentences you to
80 years confinement in the penitentiary
In each and every one of these counts.
[dramatic music]
- Benavides' six sentences will run concurrently.
And he'll be eligible for parole in 30 years.
That's it for this edition of "courtcam."
I'm dan abrams. Thanks for watching.