Court tosses convicted ex-Garland mayor’s suit

— A civil lawsuit filed by former Garland Mayor Yvonne Dockery was dismissed by a federal court judge earlier this month, according to recently filed federal court documents.

Dockery was sentenced in the Texarkana Division of U.S. District Court in January to 30 months in prison after officials said she stole the city’s volunteer Fire Department fund to use at a casino and used a police cruiser for her personal transportation.

In addition, Judge Harry Barnes ordered her to pay restitution of $128,414.21 and to serve an additional two-year probationary sentence when she is released.

She was convicted of three counts of mail fraud related to the accusations that she stole the Fire Department money to gamble in a Shreveport casino and entered into an illegal contract for firetrucks and police cruisers, one of which she used as a personal vehicle, according to trial testimony.

Dockery filed two civil lawsuits — one against Garland and one against the Miller County sheriff’s office, the FBI and other law enforcement officials.

The Garland suit was dismissed by a U.S. District Court judge in March.

U.S. District Judge Paul Holmes ordered the second suit dismissed Oct. 19, and affirmed the decision this week despite Dockery’s responses to the court.

Dockery wrote in her protest of the decision that she was “one of God’s chosen ... anointed in my mother’s womb.”

She also warned the court that a previous judge who had “wronged” her had fallen ill and died not long after his decision.

The judge wrote in his opinion that Dockery’s responses were not legal objections to the ruling.

“Plaintiff’s objections consist largely of baseless allegations ... and what seems to be a veiled threat to the court,” Holmes wrote. “Plaintiff’s objections offer neither law nor fact.”

Dockery’s appeal of her conviction is pending in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Arkansas, Pages 10 on 10/27/2011

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