THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 26, 1996 TAG: 9601260500
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Long : 111 lines
The Wright brothers sat directly behind the sign ``night duty police officers on this side of the courtroom only.''
They weren't on the night force, they weren't even cops, but they are recognized as a part of the city's civilian law enforcement efforts.
They were there for ``drug court,'' as it's casually called by the judge, police and courtroom observers. It's the day when most of the defendants were there for preliminary hearings on drug charges.
Joseph and Cephas Wright were in their usual spot, accompanied by Willie Nelson, Willie Chambers and Reggie Allen.
The Wrights, like the other men with them, have a personal stake in ``drug court'': They have battled drug dealing in their neighborhood for years.
Cephas, 62, said he has been watching the same man sell drugs across the street from his house for 25 years. Cephas joined the crime watch in his area - the neighborhood patrol for the Brighton, Prentis Place, Prentis Park and Lee-Ward sections.
His brother, Joseph, 58, lives in Cavalier Manor, where he helped organize the crime watch.
``Overall, I have seen the community change, but from a personal viewpoint that dealer is still operating across the street,'' Cephas said. ``I've seen an improvement in the neighborhood, and had we not started what we did when we did, we would be in a much worse situation.''
Both men have been threatened by drug dealers, but neither has been scared off.
``I think it's dangerous, especially with them being civilians,'' said Sgt. Richard Lodge, who has worked with both men. ``It puts them at great risk, but they continue to do what they're doing.''
Joseph was shot at in 1992 while driving a Cavalier Manor crime patrol car through his neighborhood. As he drove by a corner known for its drug activity, a shotgun blast came from a group standing there.
Lodge remembers seeing the car with a huge hole in the door jamb right behind the driver's head.
``That didn't deter him one bit, and he continued to encourage other people to be involved,'' Lodge said. ``Most cops who take a shotgun blast right behind the head and the only thing that saves them is a thick door jamb, they'd probably resign right then.''
The car was sitting in his driveway two weeks later when it was shot up. Still Joseph did not stop.
``It was shot up several times, but that didn't deter him one bit,'' Lodge said. ``He's just Joe Citizen, and he's an amazing man. I have a lot of respect for him.''
Lodge credited Joseph for building bridges between the police and the community when the police began an intensive patrol in Cavalier Manor. Judges and lawyers also applaud the Wrights and other citizens like them.
``I just feel much more comfortable with people there,'' said Judge James A. Cales Jr. ``They come away with a sense that things can be improved, and they understand why things happen. I'd like to see 100 more people like the Wrights. It's so important that people know how it works and why things are done.''
The Wrights agree.
Joseph has a daughter who is a special agent for the Virginia State Police. Cephas has a son who is a lieutenant with the Chesapeake police and a son who is a Maryland state trooper. But the two brothers say they have learned about the law from seeing it at work firsthand.
One of their main peeves is that some defendants are out on the streets on large bonds, yet have court-appointed attorneys. The Wrights believe they should have to pay for an attorney before they pay their own bond.
While watching the system often leaves them frustrated, they say it's better to see why cases seem to proceed slowly or why criminals seem to get a break.
``One thing I learned is that it's not as simple as it appears to be,'' Cephas said.
``I used to think that you see someone dealing drugs and you go up to him and arrest him. But now I know the police can't go up to him unless you have probable cause to approach and search.''
Joseph Wright won the Liberty Bell Award from the Portsmouth Bar Association two years ago for his dedication in the courtroom and in fighting crime.
Nina Lodge, a deputy clerk in Circuit Court, nominated him for the award because ``he's a true citizen and a classic example of what people should be.''
``He keeps up with these kids that get in trouble,'' she said. ``He wants to know what's going to happen to them. If they're really bad, he wants them to go to jail. He cares about crime in the city and he wants his neighborhood safe. I wish we could all be like Joe and Cephas. ''
Joseph said he believes the police, the prosecutors and the judges are doing the best they can.
``As far as the solution, I don't know,'' Joseph said. ``I don't think prison is the answer. We can't keep building prisons. Prevention is where we'd like to see the answers. Most of the users are also dealers, and they don't have any other skills, they don't have job prospects. It's a vicious cycle.
``We get frustrated all the time,'' he added. ``We keep seeing the same names all the time. These three years (sitting in court) have really opened our eyes. The whole system is overworked and undermanned.''
In Judge Cales' view, involved citizens like the Wrights make a valuable contribution in the fight against crime.
``When I was the commonwealth's attorney, there was a real frustration because you can't do it without the citizenry,'' Cales said. ``It has to help the police, it has to help the system as a whole, that there are people out there who care what we're doing.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
The Virginian-Pilot
Portsmouth police praise Cephas Wright, 62, left, and his brother,
Joseph, 58, for their many years of fighting crime, especially
illegal drugs.
by CNB