Carlee Russell found guilty, to appeal in circuit court

COMING UP IN THE SEVEN DAY FORECAST, BRITTANY. JASON, THANK YOU. ALL EYES AND HOOVER ON CARLEE RUSSELL TODAY. HER CASE DRAWING THE ATTENTION OF THE NATION. RUSSELL IS ACCUSED OF FAKING HER OWN KIDNAPING EARLIER THIS YEAR AT ONE POINT SAYING THAT SHE WAS KEPT BY A MAN AND A WOMAN FOR A FULL DAY BEFORE SHE ESCAPED AND RETURNED HOME. AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF INVESTIGATING POLICE DECIDED TO CHARGE HER WITH TWO MISDEMEANORS. OUR ��13’S LISA CRANE IS IN HOOVER FOR US THIS EVENING. LISA RUSSELL FOUND GUILTY TODAY, BUT SHE’S SINCE APPEALED AND SHE DID SO FOR A REASON. YEAH, WHAT HAPPENED TODAY IS CALLED A STIPULATED APPEAL. SO THE DEFENSE DECIDED TO FORGO THIS MUNICIPAL TRIAL AND SKIP DIRECTLY TO THE APPEAL UP TO THE CIRCUIT COURT. NOW, OUR CAMERAS WERE HERE SEVERAL HOURS AGO AND COURT IMAGES OF RICK KARLE RUSSELL ENTERING HOOVER MUNICIPAL COURT WITH HER FAMILY. THE WHOLE PROCEDURE RELATIVELY QUICK. ONCE THINGS GOT STARTED DURING THAT PROCEDURE, RICK KARLE HAD TO STAND IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE AND ENTER A PLEA. SHE PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO LYING TO POLICE AND FALSELY REPORTING AN INCIDENT. THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO WORDS SHE SAID. NOT GUILTY. SHE WAS WRINGING HER HANDS BEHIND HER BACK THE ENTIRE TIME. CLEARLY VERY NERVOUS. NERVOUS IS IS ANYONE THAT GOES BEFORE A JUDGE, MUNICIPAL COURT, CIRCUIT COURT. BUT I THINK SHE UNDERSTOOD HANDS WHAT HAS HAPPENED. SHE HAS APOLOGIZED. I KNOW YOU ALL SAID NOT THROUGH ME, BUT THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. BUT SHE HAS APOLOGIZED FOR WHAT TRANSPIRED. I DON’T WANT HER TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF BREAKDOWN OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE. SO WE’RE HANDLING HER WITH KID GLOVES AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE HER MENTAL STATE IS JUST FINE. KNOW LISA. SHE WAS FOUND GUILTY TODAY. EXPLAIN THAT. YEAH. SO THE JUDGE MADE THAT PROCEDURAL MOVE TO DECLARE AND FIND HER GUILTY NOW BECAUSE WITHOUT A VERDICT, THE CASE CANNOT BE APPEALED AND THEREFORE MOVE UP TO THE CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE. HE DID NOT HEAR EVIDENCE IN THE CASE, THOUGH HE SIMPLY MADE THE RULING TO THE APPEAL. SO THAT APPEAL CAN ACTUALLY KICK IN. NOW, THE SENTENCE RECOMMENDATION ON THOSE CHARGES WAS SIX MONTHS IN JAIL ON EACH OF THE MISDEMEANOR CHARGES. SO A YEAR IN JAIL AND A FINE OF ABOUT $1,700. THE CITY IS ALSO ASKING, THOUGH, FOR ABOUT $18,000 IN RESTITUTION FOR THE SEARCH EFFORTS. HER ATTORNEY INDICATED THAT THEY FOUND THAT NUMBER FAIR. BUT REALLY WHAT THEY HAD A PROBLEM WITH IS THAT JAIL TIME FOR MISDEMEANORS FOR A PERSON RICK KARLE, WHO HAS NO PREVIOUS CRIMIN

Updated: 7:30 AM CDT Oct 12, 2023

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Carlee Russell found guilty, to appeal in circuit court

Updated: 7:30 AM CDT Oct 12, 2023

Editorial Standards ��

A judge found Carlee Russell guilty during a municipal court hearing Wednesday.Following her confession through her attorney, Emory Anthony, many assumed that Russell would plead guilty during the hearing.Russell, however, pled not guilty to the two misdemeanor charges leveled against her after lying to police about being kidnapped and seeing a child along the side of Interstate 459 in Hoover.Following her plea, the judge made the procedural decision to find Russell guilty based on Anthony's apparent stipulation for an appeal; without a verdict, a case cannot be appealed. "We stipulated an appeal of the case and the reasoning behind it was that they were trying to ask for jail time, which we totally disagree with, all right," Anthony said. "So, in fairness, it's no need of having a trial here knowing their position. So we have stipulated an appeal of the case, it will start anew in the Bessemer circuit court."The judge also recommended that Russell spend up to a year in jail, six months for each charge, as well as pay roughly $1,700 in fines. The city of Hoover is also requesting around $18,000 in restitution.While Emory ultimately found the fines to be fair, he drew the line at jail time."Under the circumstances of Class A misdemeanor first offense, if you can find where someone we're put in jail, just bring the file to me and I'll look at it," Anthony said. "Generally, they're not put in jail. So we totally disagree with that. Restitution, we don't disagree with that. But to lock up and put in jail, we disagree."Warrants were initially put out for Russell back in July for false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident. Russell turned herself into the Hoover City Jail and was released from jail after posting bond.EXCLUSIVE: Video shows Carlee Russell leaving attorney's office in BirminghamEach charge is a class A misdemeanor and carries up to a year in jail. Officials said they still do not know where Carlee Russell was during the 49 hours of the search. The disappearanceCan't see the graphic? Click here. This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

HOOVER, Ala. —

A judge found Carlee Russell guilty during a municipal court hearing Wednesday.

Following her confession through her attorney, Emory Anthony, many assumed that Russell would plead guilty during the hearing.

Russell, however, pled not guilty to the two misdemeanor charges leveled against her after lying to police about being kidnapped and seeing a child along the side of Interstate 459 in Hoover.

Following her plea, the judge made the procedural decision to find Russell guilty based on Anthony's apparent stipulation for an appeal; without a verdict, a case cannot be appealed.

"We stipulated an appeal of the case and the reasoning behind it was that they were trying to ask for jail time, which we totally disagree with, all right," Anthony said. "So, in fairness, it's no need of having a trial here knowing their position. So we have stipulated an appeal of the case, it will start anew in the Bessemer circuit court."

The judge also recommended that Russell spend up to a year in jail, six months for each charge, as well as pay roughly $1,700 in fines. The city of Hoover is also requesting around $18,000 in restitution.

While Emory ultimately found the fines to be fair, he drew the line at jail time.

"Under the circumstances of Class A misdemeanor first offense, if you can find where someone we're put in jail, just bring the file to me and I'll look at it," Anthony said. "Generally, they're not put in jail. So we totally disagree with that. Restitution, we don't disagree with that. But to lock up and put in jail, we disagree."

Warrants were initially put out for Russell back in July for false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident. Russell turned herself into the Hoover City Jail and was released from jail after posting bond.

EXCLUSIVE: Video shows Carlee Russell leaving attorney's office in Birmingham

Each charge is a class A misdemeanor and carries up to a year in jail.

Officials said they still do not know where Carlee Russell was during the 49 hours of the search.

The disappearance

Can't see the graphic? Click here.

This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

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Carlee Russell found guilty, to appeal in circuit court

The disappearance

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