Wacktivist Lydia Robinson Sentenced to 30 Days

Wacktivist Lydia Sturgues-Robinson aka Lydia Mcaskill who was "disrespected" at Gastonia's Tony's Ice Cream a few weeks ago, received a 30-day jail sentence on Sunday after an incident at the Gaston County Magistrate’s Office.

Lydia also known as Lydia Maria Robinson, 31, of Gastonia, was booked into Gaston County Jail at 4:08 p.m. Sunday on a misdemeanor charge of criminal contempt. She currently has no bond because she’s serving an actual jail sentence, not awaiting trial.

Robinson apparently entered the Magistrates Office waiting room around 3:30 p.m. Sunday. She was not in police custody at the time and came into the magistrate court on what’s known as the public side of the courtroom.

She came in with a cellphone and told Magistrate Judge M.W. Oakes that she had received a death threat.

“When she read the message it was not a death threat” as defined by general statute (below), Oakes wrote in the contempt order.

“She began to argue and she was asked to leave and she continued to banter with the magistrate and she videoed portions of the exchange,” the order states.

The order also states cellphones are not allowed in magistrate court, and states signs are there to let people know they are prohibited.

Oakes then sentenced Robinson to 30 days in jail for criminal contempt.

Apparently only the same magistrate who issued the contempt charge can revoke the charge, although Robinson can appeal the decision to Superior Court. If she appeals the contempt charge, she would get a bond issued by a District Court judge likely within 24 hours, said Chief Resident District Court Judge John Greenlee.

A contempt charge from a magistrate is not rare offense, occurring about once a week, Greenlee said. A magistrate is a judicial official and their offices are considered courtrooms.

Gastonia Police arrested Robinson on July 20 in the parking lot of Tony’s Ice Cream on a trespassing charge.

Her arrest would set off several days of social unrest at Tony’s, which would spread to the Gaston County Jail, Gaston County Courthouse and Gastonia Police headquarters on Long Avenue.

The general statute:

(a) A person is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if without lawful authority:

(1) He willfully threatens to physically injure the person or that person's child, sibling, spouse, or dependent or willfully threatens to damage the property of another;

(2) The threat is communicated to the other person, orally, in writing, or by any other means;

(3) The threat is made in a manner and under circumstances which would cause a reasonable person to believe that the threat is likely to be carried out; and

(4) The person threatened believes that the threat will be carried out.

(b) A violation of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-277.1

1973, c. 1286, s. 11; 1993, c. 539, s. 172; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1999-262, s. 2.

Of course this isn't Lydia's first rodeo, at this point one would imagine if someone where to dig a little deeper they would find a lot more about the many aliases Lydia Maria Robinson. 

For example Lydia Maria Robinson has two court dates she'll miss if she's forced to serve all 30 days. One in Wake County on August 20, 2020, a traffic citation for "Failure to Yield" and another in Cleveland County on August 28, 2020 for "Speeding and Reckless Driving Wanton Disregard."