Judge Delays Case Of Orange County Junk Man

Hoyle King, 81, had been ordered to fence off his junkyard last fall because his property is littered with rusty cars, trucks, trailers and tires.

King missed the deadline, so the judge told him the county would do it for him, but King must foot the bill. That same judge put King in jail for failing to build the right kind of fence.

The county has also threatened to take away King's property. Some of King's customers believe what the county is trying to do is unfair.

"He leaves everybody alone," customer John Prysock said.

"It's just continual harassment," customer Tim Poole said.

According to one attorney, the case against King has been delayed 17 times in two years.

"I'll just put it to you this way. This definitely is not the case to determine how the court system works," assistant District Attorney Beverly Scarlett said.

"He's made a laughing stock out of the whole country, the justice system and everyone else around," Orange County resident Susan Scott said. "He's sitting back laughing while we're looking like dummies."

The judge said she delayed the case Monday because it was new to her, and she feels the judge who has heard the case most often should rule on it.