Last week a Chatsworth man was arrested for violating his probation after he was caught shoplifting a dress shirt and belt. When the man appeared in court to face the charges the judge was sympathetic. Stanley Wade Dyer, age 51 of Chatsworth was in Superior Court Judge Coy Temple’s courtroom in Dalton last week and told the judge if he missed any more work from being in jail he would be fired from his job.

Dyer’s wife then blurted out that the reason he had shoplifted the clothing was so he could attend church. The courtroom burst into laughter and the judge smiled. After conferring with the District Attorney the man’s sentence was reduced to time already served with the judge’s admonition that most churches today have a “come as your are” attitude and not to worry about a “strict dress code” to attend church. Dyers was released from jail on Friday.