By JIM BUTLER

Two women accused in separate arrests since 2023 of theft of more than $25,000 have yet to appear in court, according to public records.

The time between charge and disposition is not particularly out of the ordinary though the cases are due to attention they received at the time.

Kim Beebe Ryder was arrested In November 2023. While a Sheriff’s Office employee she allegedly took money from an employees voluntarily-funded account she managed.

A bill of information filed on August 15, 2024 asserts the theft occurred between March 2022 and time of her arrest.

Records show neither she nor her attorney appeared for scheduled arraignment on August 30, 2024. No court minute has occurred since through June 20 of this year.

Failure to appear for arraignment, when a formal plea is entered, is not customary though not extraordinary.

Tracy Borland Smith missed hers on June 9 this year though her attorney was present.

Arraignment was reset for August 13.

Smith was arrested last July 24. The bill of information filed on May 9 this year accuses her of theft of Ward 10 Dixie Softball funds.

Arraignment is the initial court appearance following filing of a bill of charges or an indictment.

Court records in a third case receiving public attention show only one minute entry.

Prominent attorney Samuel Spurgeon was arrested December 31, 2024 and charged with second-degree battery, a felony, after an alleged domestic incident.

On January 17, records show, the DA’s Office asked to recuse itself, a request granted by the court.

The matter was turned over to the Attorney General’s Office, which in April confirmed the case had been assigned.

Nothing appears in court minutes since the recusal. The AG Office declines to provide further information or say whether the case is still on its calendar.

As the theft cases show, quite some time between arrest and formal charging is not outside the normal course.

And if matters are no-cased, as sometimes occurs, there is no such notation in the court record.