Prosecutor Julie Ann Haven and the county commissioners are in a skirmish over money that has been promised from funds out of Starke County Prosecutor Julianne Haven’s office.

The commissioners have held up over $60,000 in claims to find out if the funds can be used for what the prosecutor is using them for. For instance firearms, at least one car, light bars, and some office equipment has been promised to various law enforcement departments.

In a special meeting Friday night, it was discovered that some of the money has already been spent. At least $12,000 has been spent on firearms and ammo.
Hamlet Police Chief Jeremy Patrick, and Deputy Don Ferguson with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department said the firearms cannot be returned as new equipment because they have already taken possession of them.

Appearing before the commissioners Havens said she wasn’t aware that the claims would be finalized before the December 20th. meeting, and may have changed funding sources before that meeting if she had known they were acting upon those claims at this time.

There will be a ceremony for newly elected officials in Starke County to take their oath of office on December 28th, 2010, at 5:00 p.m.   Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall said that all elected officials are invited to attend and be sworn in during the ceremony in the courtroom.

The courthouse will be open to everybody and photos will be permitted.

There will be refreshments following the ceremony.

A Starke County Highway snow plow driver considers himself lucky today after the truck he was plowing with rolled into a ditchcaved in a ditch, and rolled onto it’s side. Andy Cornwall, the driver, was taken to Starke Memorial Hospital where he was examined and released.

The Starke Circuit Court has issued a standing order in the interest of judicial economy to identify certain felony crimes with the intent to establish a standard condition of bond for each,  which would allow offenders to be released without judicial intervention.    This would help alleviate some of the on going over crowding situation in the Starke County Jail and help expedite the process for the Sheriffs Office, Prosecutors Office and the Circuit Court.

The new bond amounts are shown below and and the charges to which they apply.  Charges involving  unusual, violent, resisting arrest, burglaries, and assault or battery type crimes would not be subject to the order and those bonds would be set by the presiding Judge.   The complete standing order is set forth below.

BONDS

STANDING ORDER

The Judge of the Starke Circuit Court deems it necessary, and in the interest of judicial economy, to identify certain felony crimes, and to establish a standard condition of bond for each, which would not require judicial intervention.

If an individual is arrested in Starke County based upon probable cause that the individual has committed one of the following felony crimes, and transported and booked into the Starke County Jail, then the following bonds are ordered:

Possession of Marijuana – class D felony = $250.00 cash.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – class D felony = $250.00 cash.

Possession of Methamphetamine – class D felony = $500.00 cash.

Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors -class D felony= $500.00 cash.

Maintaining a Common Nuisance – class D felony = $250.00 cash.

Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated – Resident = $750.00 cash.

Non-resident = $7,500.00 surety.

Habitual Traffic Violator – class D felony = Own Recognizance.

Theft (under $200.00) – class D felony – Resident = $250.00 cash.

Non-resident = $2,500.00 surety.

Forgery – class C felony – Resident = $1,000.00 cash.

Non-resident = $10,000.00 surety.

10. Check Deception – class D felony – Resident = $1,000.00 cash.

Non-resident = $10,000 surety.

If there is probable cause to believe that the person committed more than one of the above crimes, then the bond for each crime shall be added to each other to arrive at the total bond.

If there is probable cause to believe that the person committed one of the above crimes and a crime that does not appear on the above list, then the judicial officer of the Starke Circuit Court shall set the bond.

If there is probable cause to believe that the person committed a crime that does not appear on this list then a judicial officer of the Starke Circuit Court shall set the bond.

Prior to the person being released from custody, he or she shall execute the Recognizance Bond Agreement, together with the Terms and Conditions of Recognizance Bond, which are attached hereto.

The person is ORDERED to appear in the Starke Circuit Court on the first Wednesday after the person’s release from the Starke County Jail, at 1:30 p.m.

A judicial officer of the Starke Circuit Court may issue an Order, at any time, that departs from the provisions of the Bonds Standing Order, the Recognizance Bond Agreement, and the Terms and Conditions of Recognizance Bond.

STARKE CIRCUIT COURT

Knox Mayor Rick Chambers has announced that the snow emergency in the City of Knox only has been lifted.  This applies only to the City of Knox. The Mayor explained that snow has been plowed in the City from curb to curb but that no alley-ways have been touched.  the drivers will go home at 3.00pm today and get some rest and will be back at it again tomorrow at 4.30am.

At that time the City will be plowing and removing the snow from the intersections that have been piled up.