'American Idol': Jermaine Jones Disqualified For Outstanding Arrest Warrants (VIDEO)

TRENTON, N.J. — A police official in a New Jersey town where a disqualified "American Idol" contestant is the target of two arrest warrants said Thursday the case wasn't big enough to merit going after him in California.

Jermaine Jones of Pine Hill, N.J., was kicked off the TV show this week for not revealing he had outstanding warrants. The show's producers say they learned of four warrants as they confronted him about it during a taped segment later aired on television.

Police in Gloucester Township confirmed Thursday that Jones was arrested twice in the past year. They said he gave police a false name. He failed to appear in court, and two warrants were issued.

Police Lt. Christopher Jones said the case "wasn't big enough" to merit going after the singer in California.

Gloucester police said Jones gave them the wrong name in March 2011 after they responded to a fight at a Howard Johnson Express Inn. They said he again gave them a false name in November after a car he was riding in was pulled over.

In 2009, Jones was cited in Winslow Township. Police said he was driving with a suspended license and gave police a fake name. He didn't show up for his court date and a warrant was issued.

A fourth warrant could not be confirmed Thursday; police in Winslow would not comment on the 2009 warrant.

The singer did not immediately respond to calls to his home.

Not everyone was thrilled with the producers' treatment of Jones.

Camden County Freeholder Jeffery L. Nash said there was no excuse for breaking the law, but he thought the show could have handled the incident better.

"For the producers of the billion-dollar show to expose, embarrass and interrogate a young man without an attorney in front of 40 million viewers was an outrage," Nash said. "In the future, they should do background checks before they start counting their money and playing Judge Judy."

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Comments

[msnkechi]

03:50 AM on 03/19/2012

To me, they were right to disqualify him. However, it was done the WRONG way. They could have privately disqualified him behind the scenes and told the public later. Why film someone at one of their lowest moments? This was uncomfortable to watch and I will choose not to watch AI ever.

[LBWebb]

10:23 AM on 03/18/2012

I was concerned with his attitude during his audition. He and a young white guy were the only ones not picked on a team. The white guy contestant was trying to work with and Jones was rude to him and seemed to be somewhat combative. When they did their duo before the judges and one, the white boy was happy and hugges Jones. Jones told him to not touch him! Jones has issues and things could have gotten worse latter on down the line. Most people lack discernment. I'm black, but I also know that it is not always good to take offense just because Jones is black. I perceived he was an accident waiting to happen and that is from watching his interactions wtih the rest of the contestestants.

[nhenry8323]

07:36 AM on 03/18/2012

I WILL NEVER WATCH THIS SHOW AGAIN. MANY WHO DON'T KNOW SOUTH JERSEY SHOULD REALIZE HIS WARRANTS WERE NOTHING. CONTEMPTS ARE A LARGE PART OF SOUTH JERSEY. MANY INDIVIDUALS DON'T SHOW FOR COURT BECAUSE OF FINES. THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY, SO THEY DON'T GO TO COURT. I FIND THE WAY THIS WAS HANDLED WAS HORRIBLE. TO GO ON NATIONAL TV AND SUBJECT THIS YOUNG MAN WHO ONLY WANTED A SECOND CHANCE, TO THE HUMILIATION THEY DID WAS TERRIBLE. ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES HE HAD WARRANTS IN SAID THEY WERE SMALL WARRANTS. PERHAPS IF GIVEN A CHANCE HE COULD HAVE PAID ANY OF THE OUTSTANDING FINES AND REPORTED TO COURT. THIS IS NOT THE AMERICA I KNOW AND LOVE, THESE TWO MEN WHO FIRED HIM OFF THE SHOW HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT THE LAW AND NEED TO APOLOGY TO HIM AND BRING HIM BACK. HE HAS MISDEMEANORS NOT FELONIES. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO THIS YOUNG MAN WHO ONLY WANTED A CHANCE. I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HELP HIM AND IF HE WOULD CALL MS. NANCY AT 609-265-9916 I WOULD GLADLY HELP HIM WITH HIS WARRANTS. I OWN A BAILBOND COMPANY IN MOUNT HOLLY NEW JERSEY AND IT WOULD BE A HONOR TO AID HIM IN GETTING ALL THIS OFF HIS RECORD. PLEASE CALL ME SO I CAN HELP.

[sheppard1]

12:36 PM on 03/19/2012

Please stop shouting... most folks won't even bother to try and read your entire post when you are shouting...

[nhenry8323]

01:54 PM on 03/21/2012

I AM 72 YEARS OLD AND MY EYES ARE NOT WHAT THEY USE TO BE. INSTEAD OF RUNNING FOR MY GLASSES WHEN I GET ANGRY I JUST SHOOT FROM THE HIP AND WRITE. WHOEVER STARTED THE RUMOR THAT UPPER CASE MEANS YOU ARE YELLING DOESN'T SPEAK FOR ME YOUNG LADY. ALL OF MY FRIENDS WRITE TO ME IN UPPER CASE. I AM VERY NORMAL AND COURTEOUS. I THINK YOU WERE DISCOURTEOUS TO SAY WHAT YOU DID ABOUT ME WITHOUT FINDING OUT THE FACTS. AT MY AGE I THANK GOD I CAN WRITE WHETHER UPPER CLASS OR LOWER CLASS. THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL THIS IS WHAT I SAY. I WROTE TO HELP AN INDIVIDUAL WHO COULD USE MY HELP, YOU WROTE TO BE NEGATIVE SOMETHING I AM NEVER. BUT IF I OFFENDED YOU IN ANY WAY, PLEASE ACCEPT MY TRUE APOLOGY AND NEVER READ MY POSTS AGAIN. I AM NOT BEGGING FOR ANYONE TO READ MY POST. IT WAS ONLY TO HELP AN INDIVIDUAL WHO I KNEW I COULD HELP. GOD BLESS

[theworldofwinfield]

08:11 PM on 03/17/2012

The American Idol executives/owners of this immense "TV property" are an embarassment to humanity. To put this guy on tape for the whole world to see is clearly obscene and should be illegal. I hope it is so some "high-dollar, high-profile attorney" can take these idiot owners to the mat. This is clearly "public humiliation." What if this guy goes out and kills himself? Who's to blame? In my mind, this black singer was "outed way beyond that of a guy who made some stupid mistakes. He's not a killer." Let the law suits begin; no one has this right. This guy was entrapped or tricked into doing this. Does anyone "really think" he would go through this "public humiliation" which will now follow him "forever." Unless...

...then they had this singer sign a confidentiality contract and paid him a couple of million $ to never speak of it. Even such intent on behalf of the American Idol executives is culpable and if this is the case, they still need to be sued to the "nth." degree.... They just lost me as a viewer! Idiots...

[nhenry8323]

07:47 AM on 03/18/2012

EVERYTHING YOU SAID WAS CORRECT. HE'S NOT A KILLER. I AM POSITIVE HE DIDN'T SHOW IN COURT BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO GET FINED AND DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY THE FINE AND DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO JAIL. I OWN THE BAILBOND COMPANY IN MOUNT HOLLY, NEW JERSEY AND WOULD BE HONORED TO HELP HIM WITH ALL HIS CHARGES. HE DESERVES A SECOND CHANCE JUST LIKE SO MANY OTHERS. THE AMERICAN IDOL EXECUTIVES NEED TO TAKE A COURSE IN LAW AND HOW TO TREAT OTHERS. THEY ALSO LOST ME AS A VIEWER AND THEY ARE IDIOTS. I AM HOPING HE CONTACTS ME SO I CAN HELP HIM.

[theworldofwinfield]

08:36 AM on 03/18/2012

You're a good person with a fantastic pro-active positive attitude "nhenry." Good for you. In every walk of life and profession the world will always need people like you!

[janemp]

04:36 PM on 03/20/2012

I will never read your posts because you use upper case letter. Write like a normal person--it's just courteous.

[annyp]

06:57 PM on 03/17/2012

I didn't know that being a passenger in a car that was pulled over was a crime. He wasn't the driver so his name is immaterial. One warrant was for an open container. I would be giving false names as well it someone keeps puliing me over for whatever. I wonder if his color has something to do with it? Police said not important enough to even pursue.

[Christopher Stewie Jones]

04:31 PM on 03/17/2012

1) I want to feel bad for him but I do not. He should have taken care of this and told the producers about his past
2) I don't think they should have done that whole witch trial thing. They should have booted him from the competition and said "Due to personal matters, Jermaine will not be continuing in the competition" and kept it moving.

[charleyvldm9]

01:23 PM on 03/17/2012

The police are trained to check out 1 in every 3 young blacks and they will come up with a penknife,weed,or outstanding warrants,it never fails. Maybe Amer.Idol should do the same.

[charleyvldm9]

01:07 PM on 03/17/2012

With the advent of technology,dumb punks and jerks should know that their dirty past will always upset their clean future.

[Michelle021]

12:50 PM on 03/17/2012

I think he cried on the first shows because he'd had a hard life, and finally felt like it was turning around for him. I think he was getting his first real break and was overwhelmed by it. Shame on American Idol for using him for ratings.

[bcamp]

10:07 AM on 03/17/2012

I agree with Nash, it was outrageous of American Idol To film their meeting just before show time, without first giving Jermaine the opportunity to agree or not agree to it. They sandbagged him on purpose. No other contestant who was let go was treated in this wsay. My question is why?

[kungfudoggie]

09:50 AM on 03/17/2012

After watching his video on youtube, his voice is not all that great. I don't know what all the fuss is about.

[bobravv]

07:13 AM on 03/17/2012

Who cares if he has a problem telling the truth, drives on public highways with a suspended license or that he ignores court dates. The important thing here is that he can SING! Lol !

[dayvidBrooks]

03:40 AM on 03/17/2012

Funny how you have to have a clean record to be on a dumb singing show, but you don't have to have one to be a senator,congress man, or the President or VP, take for instance, senator david vitter, caught with hookers, no problem, President George Bush and Vice Preisdent Dick Cheney were both busted for DUI's no problem, They all can still go to Washington and make laws, but they can't go on American Idol and make a CD, we have harder rules to pick a American idol, than we have to pick our leaders, just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

[angelrubes]

08:58 AM on 03/17/2012

Such good points...

[pciorlandosales]

12:49 AM on 03/17/2012

What is this? American Idiot! Did this jerk think he could commit crimes, then lie about it in front of millions? Not to mention the damage he has done to the many youth that had faith in him and voted for him. They are the ones that deserve our attention not this jerk. He got everything he deserved!

[bcamp]

10:18 AM on 03/17/2012

What makes him a jerk? Because you say so? When did he "lie" before millions? Your ire and self-righteousness would be better served going after the politicians defunding programs that positively influence our youth. I don't think anyone on that show deserved to be served up to the public without being given an opportunity to know why he was being filmed. You speak of his crimes as if they major threats to society. So it seems that you are more informed than law authorities who considered giving a false name to police and driving on a suspended license too minor to pursue all the way to California.

[pciorlandosales]

06:28 PM on 03/17/2012

lol I can't believe your still defending this criminal? There (is) more to this story than that. They where major crimes, all felonies, his past crimes and the charges that will be filed now that he has been found. A criminal is a criminal he is to be caught and brought to justice just as any criminal. Keep carrying that cross for him lol !!

[Lady Xica]

12:36 AM on 03/17/2012

Go ahead and publicly humiliate the man more. This was total BS! This is one of the many reasons why I stopped watching AI. There was no just cause to embarrass this man on national television like this.