Shareece Wright’s judge keeps defendants on toes

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I spent three years covering Inland Empire law enforcement and courts for The Times, but don’t ever remember following a hearing in the San Bernardino County Superior courtroom of Judge John N. Martin. Until this Shareece Wright case, that is.

And what an entertaining jurist I missed.

Wright is the Trojans’ injured starting cornerback from Colton who is accused of getting into a tussle with Colton police over the Labor Day weekend while attending a military friend’s goodbye party. He’s been charged with felony resisting a police officer, and had a Wednesday hearing in Martin’s courtroom.

Before Wright was summoned, however, Martin had to deal with some other cases, with one of the male defendants asked to rise among a dozen handcuffed and humbled alleged criminals of both sexes seated in the jurors’ box.

Martin was told by attorneys a plea deal had been reached in the man’s case, and the judge wanted to make sure justice was served. He recalled an instrument the man allegedly used in an attack. ‘Wasn’t it a hammer?’ he asked the prosecutor. She shrugged yes, but later added she was OK if the man’s deal didn’t include anger-management classes.

‘So you don’t think someone who attacks someone with a hammer would benefit from anger management?’ Martin asked the prosecutor. You could’ve heard a pin drop.

Then, a man dressed in street clothes approached the judge to express his apology for missing a weekend jail stint on Sept. 27.

Martin ordered the man handcuffed, and sent him to the jurors’ box hall of shame. ‘You messed around for a month!’ Martin barked to the defendant.

Wright’s case followed a break, and the player’s attorney had talked to the judge about allowing Wright to travel with the team on road games, which include a Nov. 15 date at Stanford and a Dec. 6 crosstown trek to the Rose Bowl to play UCLA.

Wright’s case was continued (and will likely be resolved) Dec. 17, but Martin didn’t hesitate to warn Wright about steering clear of the troubles of partying.

‘I assume they’ll be in a bowl game,’ Martin said glaring at Wright. ‘These are festive affairs. You so much smell a beer or alcohol ... I don’t want you to use this as an excuse to party. You understand that?’

Wright answered with the perfect response: ‘Yes, sir.’

-- Lance Pugmire