A suspected Miami Dolphins jersey thief appears before a bond court judge wearing a Dolphins jersey. A fact the judge noted while setting his bond at $5,000.
Reporting Jasmine Kripalani
South Florida Crime
MIAMI – (CBSMiami.com) – Two men who appeared before a bond court judge Monday morning walked up to the judge sporting Dolphins jerseys.
This would be uneventful had it not been for one important fact: the two men were arrested and charged with stealing Dolphins jerseys a day earlier.
James Hanna, 50, and his co-defendant Nelson Walker, 40, allegedly walked into the Sun Life Stadium Dolphins store and were seen by other customers stuffing their pants with Dolphins jerseys and hats, according to the Miami-Dade police arrest report.
Police say the pair walked out without attempting to pay for the merchandise. They left quickly, but police caught up with them as they approached the parking lot.
It didn’t end there. A day after their arrest, the pair appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Diane Ward who noticed they were wearing the jerseys.
Judge Ward asked Walker to turn around and show him the name of the player on his jersey. It bears the name of Dolphins wide receiver Davone Bess No. 15.
The judge is apparently not a football fan. She had to ask those around her, “Is he a new player? Is he still with the Dolphins? Looks like a new jersey to me.”
Walker then points to his jersey and replies, “This ain’t the one your honor. No ma’am. It shows that that I ain’t took no jerseys. I ain’t took no jerseys.”
Perhaps the judge may have been more sympathetic, if Walker did not have 29 other prior felonies.
She ordered Walker held on $5,000 bond. As for Hanna, a decision on his bond was postponed until Tuesday. For the record, Hanna sported a Dolphins jersey bearing the name of linebacker Zach Thomas No. 54.
