Forsyth County judge denies fixing tickets

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (AP) — A Forsyth County judge has denied she
fixed traffic tickets for her friends and church members.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported that District Court Judge
Denies Hartsville says she usually dropped fines and court costs in
non-alcohol traffic offenses to help defendants who couldn’t pay
the fees.

The North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission has accused
Hartsfield of a “continuing pattern” in which she entered
favorable judgments for certain defendants.

Hartsfield also has denied lying or giving misleading statements
to the State Bureau of Investigation,

She says there have been instances when she talked with people
about their tickets outside of court and later disposed of the
tickets. But she denies those conversations were improper.

Hartsfield says she can’t elaborate on the response she filed
earlier this week with the commission.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)