By Evie Sun
SACRAMENTO – You might say defendant George Tutt ran into a tough judge Wednesday in Sacramento County Superior Court, Dept. 62 on December 23 as he tried to resolve his case.
In short, Judge Michael A. Savage denied Tutt’s release from custody—after his fifth felony violation—and sentenced him to time behind bars.
Tutt has been convicted overall five times before his appearance Wednesday, including two misdemeanors and four felonies. Crimes included “Unlawful Use of Personal Identifying Information,” “Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance and Loaded Firearm” in 2018, “Grand Theft: Money/ Labor/ Real/ Personal Property Exceed $950” in 2018, and a “Burglary” count from 2019. He was also charged with two misdemeanors on the “Possession of Narcotic Paraphernalia.”
The defendant Wednesday pleaded “no contest” to a felony, and will be sent to county jail for one year.
“This would be number five; that’s about two over my typical limit. It’s time to go to prison. It seems like we’re going the wrong way. He probably should have gone to prison two times ago. He’s getting the wrong idea about identity theft—that it’s okay,” said the judge.
Assistant Public Defender Teresa Huang noted that Tutt’s co-defendant is on warrant status and maybe she should take the fall, not her client.
“Everything that was found was in a purse, and if she was here and had already been arraigned, then it would mostly be on her,” suggested Huang. “I believe the culpability does rest more on the currently unjoined co-defendant who is currently on warrant status.”
But Judge Savage countered, “He’s probably got well over five years in state prison just on his violations of probation, and he should probably do it. His fifth felony in two years and he’s been getting bullets … but he’s only done 24 days.
“I don’t mean to throw a fly in the ointment, but 24 days on his fifth felony in two years and another identity theft … who knows what kind of damage this identity theft has caused the victims because we don’t generally think about it, but I’m sure it’s massive.
“Nobody’s bleeding, but whoever he ripped off is bleeding economically,” said the judge, adding, “It’s time for Mr. Tutt to go. I’m sorry, he’s not going to get out of custody today, no way,” stated the judge.
Deputy District Attorney Cody Winchester said that he will review his original offer to see if there is a basis for that offer, and if not, he will make a new one.
Judge Savage also arraigned the defendant on his misdemeanor of “Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substances” and “Possession of Narcotic Paraphernalia.”
The court will return to this matter on Jan. 6 at 1:30 p.m. in Dept. 62.
Evie Sun is a third-year student at UCLA, studying Sociology. She is from the East Bay Area.
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