Willam "Cobra" Staubs In Court on Wednesday-Got 1 year probation.

Jessica Clark Created: 3/24/2010 5:28:38 PM Updated: 3/24/2010 5:52:17 PM

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- The private investigator from South Florida that helped in the search for Haleigh Cummings will not be able to investigate in northeast Florida for a year.

William "Cobra" Staubs was in court today after a Putnam County man filed a false imprisonment charge against Staubs in 2009.

Today, at the Putnam County courthouse, Staubs entered a no-contest plea to the lesser charge of battery and received one year of probation.

But one condition of the sentence bars Staubs from conducting any bondsman activity or investigation work in the 7th Judicial Circuit during the year, and that means he would not be able to investigate the Haleigh case in Putnam.

THE SEARCH FOR HALEIGH CUMMINGS

According to the clerk's office, another condition that goes along with Staubs' sentence is that he can have no contact with the victim while on probation.

Five-year-old Haleigh Cummings disappeared in February 2009 after going to bed in her father's home.

Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings' then-girlfriend, Misty Croslin, was babysitting that night, and told investigators she put Haleigh to bed, and when she woke up, Haleigh was gone.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=153788&catid=3

Why would he plea "no contest" and take a plea deal for a year probation if he were innocent?? :scratch:

Haleigh Cummings – One Sideshow Ends, Others Start
Posted on March 24th, 2010
by Simon Barrett

It has been just over a year since William Cobra Staubs found himself in hot water over his bond revocation of Donald Snodgrass. Snodgrass for those of you unfamiliar with the case, is currently out on bond, but wearing a GPS monitoring device. He is accused of raping a 9 year old child. Even the current administration in Putnam county have explained that under their jurisdiction Snodgrass would never have bonded out. Capital rape is no minor traffic violation.

Well folks, I am happy to tell you that the ludicrous case against William Cobra Staubs has been completely resolved. The deal was inked less than two hours ago.

He has accepted a plea deal of simple battery, this is a misdemeanour rather than the ugly 10-13 years he faced if found guilty of the false imprisonment and gun charges that had been leveled at him.

He has to now pay a small fine, and is on probation for 12 months. But even the terms of the probation give one a cause to chuckle, he has to check in by mail once every three months, and also submit to a urine drug test on the same schedule! He can still own and carry guns, he can still hang around people of less than reputable character and there should be nothing to prevent him resuming his chosen profession. The one rider that I did chuckle at was that during this one year on probation he is forbidden to to any investigations, or Bounty Hunting in Putnam county, or the three others that make up the courts jurisdiction.

Cobra has become a close family friend over the past year, I could hear the spark in his voice today.

It has been a tough time for Cobra and the lady in his life. I have no idea how many phone calls we have shared over the past 12 months. The charges against him effectively removed his ability to work. I know that the time has been hard on him.

A few weeks ago I received a Deposition that was requested by the prosecution. Generally prosecutors depose witnesses that can bolster their case. This depo, cratered the prosecutions case. It was so damaging that they asked the ‘court reporting company’ to not even bother transcribing it! When I got wind that it existed I talked to the witness, Robert Dicker. If the prosecution were not going to use it, it certainly had great value for the defense. He had to request the transcription himself!

I’ll let you make your own determination, the depo is here.

The real question was just how far was the assistant DA prepared to go? Would he risk ridicule and possibly his job to go after a case that can not be won? In the deposition it is clear that he does not even know the Florida statute involved! Way to go Boatwright!

The happenings of today have much larger ramifications. Cobra is loaded for bear. I have seen a grumpy Cobra, I have seen a very sad Cobra, but now we have a Cobra that is out for blood. I would not want to be in the shoes of one reporter that essentially was blackmailing him over two video clips. Ouch, paybacks are a bitch. The press underground drums have been beating. I am hoping to get Cobra on the radio in the next day or so. It will be an interesting interview.

Simon Barrett

http://www.bloggernews.net/124125