Deputy Turns Herself In On Abuse Charge

By CARLOS MONCADA and LOIS KINDLE The Tampa Tribune

Published: Feb 17, 2008

TAMPA - A Hillsborough County detention deputy who dumped a quadriplegic man from his wheelchair was arrested Saturday morning on a charge of abuse of a disabled person, records show.

Charlette Marshall-Jones, 44, turned herself in at Orient Road Jail at 5 a.m., dressed in black and wearing a cowboy hat. She was booked, processed and released at 6:18 a.m. on $3,500 bail, Hillsborough sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. A warrant for her arrest was announced Friday night by Sheriff David Gee.

Records show the 22-year deputy is being represented by Tampa criminal defense lawyer Norman Cannella Sr.

Reached on his cell phone Saturday morning, Cannella said he didn't plan to issue a statement to the news media.

"I'm not going to try the matter in the press," he said. "I'll make all my comments in court."

A former prosecutor, Cannella has handled a number of high-profile cases. He has represented former Tampa police Chief Bennie Holder on a sexual harassment complaint and Bubba the Love Sponge Clem on an animal cruelty charge. He also represented controversial real estate speculator Don Connolly.

Marshall-Jones was not at home a few hours after her release from jail. Some residents in her neighborhood were unaware of the incident that has captured nationwide attention.

Carmella DeJesus, her next-door neighbor, said she was shocked by the news.

"I recognized her in the video and I couldn't believe it," DeJesus said. "To me, she's very normal, very sweet. She works in her yard with her [partner], has her family over; she's a very nice woman.

On Jan. 29, video cameras recorded Marshall-Jones raising the back of a wheelchair and sending Brian Sterner tumbling to the floor. Sterner, 32, of Riverview, was taken to the jail on a warrant stemming from a traffic violation. He remained on the floor as Marshall-Jones searched him.

Two of Marshall-Jones' supervisors have been suspended, and another has been put on unpaid leave, pending the outcome of an investigation.

Sterner was arrested at his home and taken to the jail on a charge of fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, according to records.

He posted $2,000 bail and was released Feb 3.

A warrant for his arrest was issued after an Oct. 25 incident in which Tampa police stopped him in Ybor City. He was stopped while driving a Mini Cooper that had been fitted with hand pedals and was cited for blocking an intersection. Though classified as a quadriplegic, he has partial use of his arms.

Sterner said Marshall-Jones tried to make him stand even though he couldn't and that he was working hard to control his emotions and his actions throughout the incident.

Sterner and his attorney, John Trevena, have said there is a second incident of abuse involving him at the jail that involved Marshall-Jones and another person. They would not elaborate on the incident, which occurred while Sterner was being fingerprinted and wasn't caught on camera.

Sterner gave a statement at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office late Friday afternoon, and Trevena said Gee directly apologized to him.

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com. Reporter Lois Kindle can be reached at (813) 731-8138 or lkindle@tampatrib.com.