A Michigan City man was found guilty on all four counts against him after a trial in Starke Circuit Court last week.
Lamar Bush, 47, was charged with Level 2 Felony charges of dealing in a narcotic drug and dealing in methamphetamine, a Level 4 Felony charge of possession of a narcotic drug, and a Level 3 Felony charge of possession of methamphetamine. The incident stemmed from a September 3, 2020 traffic stop in Starke County.
The trial was the first held in Starke Circuit Court since the pandemic. According to the Starke County Prosecutor’s Office, jury selection took longer than usual as all potential jurors were brought into the courtroom in groups and spaced out during the process to follow COVID-19 precautions. In all, 13 jurors were seated for the trial.
Bush represented himself in court with Timothy Lemon as stand-by counsel. Starke County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Micah Cox represented the state and produced five witnesses for testimony including a co-defendant. The defense did not call any witnesses.
The trial began on Wednesday with jury selection and ended Friday afternoon where the jury found Bush guilty on all counts. A sentencing hearing is set for April 8 at a tentative start time of 4 p.m. CT.
