
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 18, 1990                   TAG: 9004180224
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER SOUTHWEST BUREAU
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium

KANGAROO COURT TO JUMP

People in Wythe County will find out how many friends they have Friday when they have to telephone them for bail to get out of "jail" during Night Court, a fund-raising venture for a regional spouse abuse center.

"We encourage people in the community to have their bosses, their teachers, some of their employees or friends arrested," said David Coe, director of the Wytheville-based Family Resource Center, which provides shelter for women and children from five counties who are facing abusive situations.

It costs $10 to swear out a warrant for a gag charge against someone. Off-duty volunteers from the Wythe County Sheriff's Department will make arrests Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The idea of the kangaroo court, which gets its title from the television comedy show "Night Court," is to have fun, Coe said. The judges handing out fines on the "charges" this year will be Danny Gordon of radio station WYVE in Wytheville and Paul Sexton of radio station WCRR in Rural Retreat.

The court and jail will be set up in the basement of the Wytheville Community Center, where telephones will be available for those arrested to call for donations to help them make bail set by the judges. The event is being partly sponsored this year by CorEast Savings Bank.

Nobody will actually be forced to participate, of course, Coe said, but he hoped that people who believed in what the center does would want to help it raise money. This is the center's third Night Court fund-raiser, each coming about 18 months apart.

"We're hoping to do fewer surprise arrests. . . . What we're really hoping for this year is that a number of people will volunteer to be arrested," Coe said. "They will be given time before next Friday to raise their bail and that way they can avoid spending any significant time in the jail - although some people enjoy getting in the jail for three, four hours and having a good old time."

The good time will be enhanced by food and beverages, donated by local merchants, and the "sentencings" handed out by Sexton and Gordon. "I think those who volunteer have much more fun," Coe said.

"If somebody absolutely does not want to be arrested, we do offer insurance against arrest. But insurance will cost you $25," he said.

Those who want to swear out warrants against someone, volunteer to be arrested or insure themselves against arrest can do so by telephoning the Family Resource Center at 228-8431 or 228-7141.

Coe said Night Court would also use volunteers to take the arrest calls during the week, and especially on Friday to help serve the snacks and carry out other "jail" activities.

"We don't want to bring anybody's business to a screeching halt," Coe said. Last time, several businesses cooperated by sending employees in groups of 10 to 15 at a time. The plant manager at Alco Controls even allowed himself to be paraded through the plant in handcuffs as part of the show when he was arrested, Coe said.

by CNB