Jury Returns Guilty Verdict on 6 of the 7 Charges Brooke Case

A jury of 8 men and four women has returned a guilty verdict on 6 of the seven charges against John Brooke in Starke Circuit

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Court.  The trial was conducted in front of Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall.

A stoic John Brooke heard the guilty verdict given, while friends and family in the gallery wept.

He was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Intimidation, Possession and Manufacturing Destructive Devices, Resisting Law Enforcement,

Unlawful Use of Body Armour, and Assisting a Criminal.

The only count he was found not guilty on was a seventh charge, possession of a destructive device.

Sentencing has been set by Judge Hall for May 12th. at 10:00.

Brooke was part of a potentially deadly situation at Bass Lake in February of 2010 in which an occupant in his home opened fire on Starke County Police officers who were trying to serve an Illinois warrant.  Michael Drogosz, the shooter in that incident was sentenced to a lengthy prison term in August.

We’ll have more information in the morning.

John Brooke Trial Set To Begin Monday, Hitchens Has Charges Dismissed Pleads Guilty To One Count

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Hitchens
A jury has been seated in Starke Circuit Court this afternoon consisting of 8 men and 4 women.  The trial of John Brooke who is facing seven charges against him include Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Intimidation, Possession and Manufacturing of a Destructive Device, Possession of a Destructive Device, Resisting Law Enforcement, Unlawful use of Body Armor, and Assisting a Criminal, all felony charges. The trial will commence at 9.00 am Monday morning.
In a surprise developement Kimberly Hitchens had charges of Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Possession/Manufacturing of a Destructive Device dismissed by the State of Indiana but plead guilty to one charge of aiding and Assisting a Criminal a class D felony.  A sentencing hearing has not been set at this time.