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Mother, Son Appear Before Same Judge

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By THOMAS W. KRAUSE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 21, 2008

TAMPA - A teenager, accused of rape, and his mother, accused of violating probation, appeared in court Tuesday morning before the same judge.

Kendrick Morris, a 16-year-old charged in two rape cases, was arraigned before Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett. His mother, Lisa Stevens, 36, appeared for a violation of probation hearing.

Morris, in custody without bail, sat with a host of other inmates. His mother, out of jail on her own recognizance, sat in the rear of the courtroom. When she came before the judge, she was told her case was being continued.

In February, Stevens was sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty to a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a child. She had been charged with aggravated child abuse for allegedly beating Morris but pleaded to a lesser charge.

Stevens was arrested again April 21, charged with violating probation by driving with a suspended license.
Formal charges against her son were filed last week. At arraignment, the defendant is told about the charges, is provided an attorney if he does not have one, and enters a plea.

Morris was assigned an attorney from the public defender's office.

He pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, aggravated battery with great bodily harm, armed burglary, armed robbery, attempted sexual battery, and four counts of sexual battery with injury.

The charges relate to two cases, one involving an 18-year-old at Bloomingdale Regional Public Library on April 24 and one involving a day care worker June 28.

Several of the charges against Morris are punishable by up to life in prison.

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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