Beth Shelburne

For example, in 1997, Red was charged with robbery and theft when he stole five watches from a department store.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

But then the judge amended Red's sentence and granted him probation instead of prison time.

But there's no information about why his sentence was downgraded.

And this happened less than a month before the start of Taforist's second trial.

That timing gets my attention.

I wonder if it's possible that Violet Ellison testified in Taforist's case in exchange for preferential treatment for her son.

but on further examination, that seems like a long shot.

The charges against Redd in 1997 were in Bessemer, not Jefferson County, where Taforist was tried, with different prosecutors and judges.

But I do know that Violet Ellison was involved in her son's criminal defense.

In a 2007 burglary case...

Records show that Red's attorney met with the defendant and his mother for three hours in two separate meetings.

Red pleaded guilty in that case and got probation.

Is Red getting preferential treatment because his mother has been a witness for the state in multiple cases?

I find no documentation to support this.

But then again, are deals like that ever spelled out in court records?

While looking through Red's files, I notice an especially violent assault and battery from 1994.

He was sentenced to supervised probation.

I was able to dig up a report of the incident in which police say Red spits on a woman, grabs her by the neck and hair, and pulls her around a room.

A child is listed as a witness.