Former Teen Mom star Ryan Edwards walked into a Hamilton County, Tennessee courtroom on Tuesday morning expecting to have a routine hearing in front of a judge and to walk back out again. The 35-year-old reality TV vet had pled guilty to driving under the influence and simple possession almost exactly a month ago as part of a deal following an arrest for driving 145 miles per hour in a 65 mile per hour zone.
But things did NOT go as planned for Ryan in Judge Gary Starnes‘ courtroom. Instead, the judge and the prosecutor ganged up on Maci Bookout‘s ex… and he was unexpectedly hauled away in handcuffs to await the results of a drug test!
Like we said, Tuesday morning was just meant to be a check-in at Hamilton County General Sessions Court in front of Judge Starnes. Ryan arrived in a white shirt and black slacks, seen in pics in The US Sun, and his dad was there, too. Per that outlet, his mother was curiously absent from the courtroom despite appearing at all of his hearings prior to Tuesday.
The drama began even before Ryan — who shares 14-year-old son Bentley with Maci in addition to son Jagger, 4, and daughter Stella, 3, with ex Mackenzie Edwards (pictured above, bottom right) — could be called before Judge Starnes. Early in the hearing, Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp slammed the MTV alum. Wamp questioned what Ryan has been doing since he was released from Oasis Halfway House in Chattanooga in November. Referencing a November 25 incident in which Ryan was booted out of a Chattanooga bar, and lamenting how he wasn’t doing any of his drug and alcohol abuse counseling check-ins, Wamp said:
“I would be interested to see if he could pass a drug screening. Last time was November 8, the same time he was released from Oasis. It raises concern he could fail a drug screening. If he’s not doing CADAS outpatient , he’s not doing the support groups. Can we drug test him in court today, judge?”
Judge Starnes agreed a drug test would be applicable — and told DA Wamp that she needed to get a screener down to the courtroom:
“Yes, if you can get someone down here.”
An hour later, with the drug test en route, DA Wamp indicated they were going to take samples from Ryan and have them back by Friday. She also mentioned how the embattled ex-reality star has not taken his most recent vivitrol shot, which is a substance used to block the effects of opioids and alcohol — implying he doesn’t want to block those effects anymore:
“He is late for his vivitrol shot. He was supposed to get it on November 17. We know what happens when you go longer than a month. The rehab representative believes it is way past overdue. That would correspond with his behavior at the bar. He was drug-screened yesterday. By Friday we will have those results back.”
Then, she requested the court take Ryan into custody on Friday if he does NOT pass the drug test results:
“The state would ask he be taken into custody if he does not pass. He agreed to submit a report on his continuing care and follow-up. He hasn’t done it. If he does not do that by Friday and show he went to AA. … If he doesn’t go, if he fails drug screens, the state will file this petition.”
But Judge Starnes took things one step further!! Instead of waiting for the results to come back on Friday, the judge furiously noted that his “patience is gone” with Edwards. So, he ordered the famous father to be arrested and incarcerated ASAP:
“He’s going into custody. He was told to do it. My patience is gone. You had chance after chance after chance. The results will be back Friday.”
Per the Sun, Ryan tepidly asked for his chance to speak before going to jail:
“Your honor, can I speak?”
But the judge was firm in his denial:
“No, you can’t.”
DAMN!
And with that, Edwards was handcuffed on the spot and yanked out of the courtroom. Now, he will remain in jail for the next three days until a court appearance on Friday morning. In that hearing, the world will presumably learn the results of DA Wamp’s drug test.
Pretty intense — and it’s notable that the judge had a more punitive mindset than the DA. Usually it’s the prosecutor who is calling for more, the defense attorney who is calling for less, and the judge who falls somewhere within that spectrum. But in Ryan’s case, Judge Starnes is VERY clearly over it. Yeesh!! Reactions, Perezcious readers??
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