Judas Cooter aka Mikey Namorato was released from “House Arrest” on August 27, 2001. The State of Mississippi enforced a daily curfew after Judas failed his probation’s drug test in February. The Cooters have not been able to play any shows with Judas from the beginning of March until the end of August, but the band continued to rehearse several times a week at Cooters Headquarters. Additionally, the band has kept busy recording a soon-to-be-released album.

Judas’s legal troubles began in 1994 as a member of the band Bruthafiend. He was arrested by the Metro Narcotics after Bruthafiend’s band house, the Padded Cell, was raided. The young musicians were set up by a former Vietnam veteran who gave Judas's roommate lights and equipment suitable for growing marijuana, and encouraged the roommate to do it. The vet then turned around and NARCed on the young musicians, but the raid on their house led to arrest of all the members of the band.

Bruthafiend broke up shortly after the raid and in August of 1994, Judas joined up with Raw and Neuter to reform The Cooters. Unfortunately, however, Judas was busted once again in January of 1996 with possession of marijuana while on probation for the 1994 Bruthafiend arrest. He was incarcerated for several months in a Mississippi jail in 1996, and for two years after, he spent thousands of dollars defending himself in state courts.

When the verdict was finally reached in January 1999, no one, especially Judas, could believe it when he was sentenced to six months in the Mississippi State Penitentiary. At Parchman, Judas endured a rigorous boot camp program for drug offenders, Regimented Inmate Discipline (aka R.I.D.), complete with drill sergeants and marine training. The Cooters were put on hold during the 1998 incarceration, but managed to write many new tunes, including an entire set of acoustic songs. If there was a silver lining to the incarceration, at least Judas got in shape!

While The Cooters have been publicly silent about Judas’s unfortunate 2001 house arrest, we are very happy that Judas’s legal troubles are finally over. We hope and pray that the cops will leave Judas alone and let us finally be a band! Thanks to everyone who has been supportive during this difficult time. The Cooters are ready to rock, ready to tour, and we sound better than ever!