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To the Editor:
I am writing this letter to point out a grave injustice happening in Elizabethton.
I have a friend who tried to kill herself in the Elizabethton jail last night (2/04/2023).
You have to ask yourself WHY? She is the recipient of several unjust declarations by a judge in your court system.
Let me tell the story as I know it from the beginning. The lady worked as an RN at the hospital in your town. For months 52 percent of her pay was deducted because her grown daughter ran up a large hospital bill from an accident (and then died). My friend finally was going to get a full two-weeks check — but when she went to get it, it had been transferred to another employee’s account in the accounting department. It turns out that employee had embezzled $70,000 plus and is going to jail. But for my friend to get her pay it had to go through the court system — and a court date was set up. When she showed up to the court on the appropriate date she was told the the date had been changed to two days earlier and she was in non-compliance of court and was fined $250 and sentenced to 10 days in jail.
The problem is that she was not notified (at least properly because she didn’t know about it) of the court date change. And of course the judge would not listen!! While in jail a drunk driver smashed into her old car in the parking lot and basically totaled it and he had NO insurance.
Let’s recap all the injustices: 1) My friend had her pay stolen at work. 2) She had to go to court to get it. 3) Because of a snafu by the court system she got a $250 fine and 10 days in jail. Remember the court case was set up to correct an injustice — instead it added two more.
I’ll bet the drunk driver will get a slap on the wrist and never have to pay a dime — what an INJUSTICE system we have in Elizabethton!!
I for one will avoid Carter County like the plague. After this letter the judge will probably get me hanged for just being in Carter County.

James W. McManus
Bakersville, N.C.