Two Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court in Battery Case

Posted on Author WKVI

Two teenagers were sentenced in Starke Circuit Court yesterday for their involvement in a battery incident in May that left a man unconscious at times.

Daily James Potter and Jamal Green pleaded guilty to a charge of Theft in an incident where Potter and Green, plus two adult suspects John Potter and Brenan Sanchez, allegedly beat and kicked a Monterey man. Daily James Potter and Jamal Green stated in court that they were not involved in the battery but rather the theft of $400 in cash, a knife and prescription medication. They reached into the victim’s pockets, after he was on the ground after being battered, and took the money and a weekly pill container that contained several prescription medications.

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Plea Agreement Again Rejected For Robert Reed

Posted on Author WKVI
Robert Reed

Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall rejected a plea agreement for Robert Reed in a hearing yesterday.

Robert Reed and the state had come up with an agreement where Reed would plead guilty to charges of Receiving Stolen Property and Resisting Law Enforcement and would serve 36 months with no part of that sentence suspended. He would also enter into work release once his time was served.

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Plea Agreements Rejected For Two In Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Kristen Webb and Joshua Givens were in Starke Circuit Court yesterday for sentencing hearings.

The pair were arrested on November 23, 2011 after officers from the Knox City Police Department executed a search warrant at 605 South Portland Street after learning of possible drug activity at the residence. Police reportedly found methamphetamine, marijuana, controlled substances and paraphernalia at the residence. Five people were arrested as a result of the search warrant.

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O’Bryant Pleads Not Guilty to Charges of Child Molestation

Posted on Author WKVI
Steven L. O'Bryant

A man with a violent history and four heinous charges of Child Molestation made his initial appearance in the Starke Circuit Court yesterday. Forty-three-year-old Steven L. O’Bryant pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him and vehemently denied the allegations, insisting on a lie detector test to prove his innocence.

“These charges are sick and disgusting,” O’Bryant said, insisting that while a lot of defendants claim they are innocent, he is truly so. He insisted that the state subject him to a lie detector test.

O’Bryant requested a court-appointed attorney represent him, as he is financially unable to provide his own attorney. He says since his release from the Department of Corrections on June 6, 2011, he has been unable to find a job because of the tattoos on his face. As a result, Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall appointed Timothy Lemon to his case.

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Two Arrested Following Residential Search In Knox

Posted on Author WKVI

A search warrant was executed that allowed officers from the Knox City Police Department to arrest two on drug charges.

Officers received information about narcotics being sold at a residence in Knox and, with that information, the officers applied for a search warrant. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall signed the search warrant and it was executed Tuesday afternoon at 1560 S. 300 E. in Knox.

As a result of that search, police found an indoor marijuana growing operation and the suspects in the case were found to be in possession of marijuana.

Justin Back, 28, and Mitchell Thompson, 28, of Knox were arrested on preliminary charges of Dealing in Marijuana and Possession of Marijuana.

Whitt Sentenced To Ten Years For Dealing in Methamphetamine

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Courthouse

Cole Whitt, Jr., of Plymouth, was recently sentenced to prison following a hearing before Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall.

Whitt pleaded guilty to Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B Felony in a plea agreement accepted by Judge Hall which dropped charges of Possession of Precursors, Methamphetamine and Marijuana. The judge took into consideration that Whitt had been to prison twice before he rendered his decision, sentencing Whitt to 10 years in the Department of Corrections with none of that sentence suspended. Upon completion of the CLIFF program and at least six years of his sentence, he can petition the court for a modification of his sentence.

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Shawn Heck Sentenced To Eight Years For Dealing Methamphetamine

Posted on Author WKVI
Shawn Heck

Shawn Heck was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Thursday.

Heck pleaded guilty to a charge of Dealing in Methamphetamine in a plea agreement which Judge Hall accepted. Heck will serve eight years on that Class B Felony charge with none of that sentence suspended in the Indiana Department of Corrections. Upon his completion of the CLIFF program and serving a mandatory six years of that term, he may apply for a modification of that sentence. He was ordered to pay a $200 drug interdiction fee. As part of his plea agreement, charges of Possession of Precursors and Possession of Methamphetamine were dropped.

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Sentencings Handed Down in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Vernon Chessor appeared for his sentencing hearing in the Starke Circuit Court on Friday, where he faced charges of Possession of Methamphetamine as Class D felonies as well as a probation violation charge in a separate case. A charge of Possession of a Syringe was dismissed.

Judge Kim Hall sentenced Chessor to 18 months in the Department of Corrections with no time suspended for the charge of Possession of Methamphetamine, and two years in the Department of Corrections with none suspended for the probation violation. The sentences will run consecutively for a total of two and a half years in the DOC. The court also recommended that he be placed into the CLIFF program.

Austin Bailey was also sentenced Friday to three years and nine months in the Department of Corrections. He will serve three years for a Class D felony charge of Theft, and nine months for violating his probation. He will also serve six months in the Starke County Jail.

Reckless Homicide Trial to Be Held For Dale Hite Today

Posted on Author WKVI
Dale Hite

A trial is scheduled for a man who has pleaded not guilty to eight charges stemming from an incident in Starke County on Oct. 16, 2009.

Dale Hite was present for his pretrial motions and instructions hearing Tuesday, where he faces charges of Resisting Law Enforcement Resulting in Death, two counts of Reckless Homicide, and counts of Resisting Law Enforcement, Possession of Methamphetamine, Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign and Failure to Use Headlights from Sunset to Sunrise.

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Hummel Brothers Receive Sentence in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Jonathan Hummel
Nathan Hummel

Thursday was a busy day in the Starke Circuit Court, as several sentences were handed down by Judge Kim Hall.

After pleading guilty on April 23 to several charges stemming from an armed robbery incident at the Knox CVS Pharmacy on December 20, 2010, Jonathan and Nathan Hummel received their sentences in court.

Jonathan Hummel was sentenced to 30-and-a-half years in the Department of Corrections as per a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to Dealing in a Narcotic Drug as a Class A felony; Robbery as a Class B felony; Aiding, Inducing, or Causing a Robbery as a Class B felony, and Criminal Mischief as a Class D felony. A separate cause was dismissed and all pending cases in Knox City Court were dismissed. Hummel is required to pay $2946.13 for damages to a police squad car, and $11,924 in restitution to the Knox CVS.

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Judge Kim Hall Rejects Two Plea Agreements

Posted on Author WKVI
Jacob Hanselman

Two plea agreements were rejected in the Starke Circuit Court on Thursday.

A plea agreement was rejected for Jacob Hanselman, who would have pleaded guilty to Trafficking with an Inmate as a Class C felony and two counts of Theft as Class D felonies. The court would have sentenced Hanselman to two years in the Department of Corrections, and he would have been required to pay restitution for damages and items that were stolen and not returned.

Judge Kim Hall rejected the agreement and a jury trial will take place on August 1 at 9 a.m. A pretrial motions and instructions hearing is set for July 31 at 1 p.m., with a jury status hearing on July 20 at 9 a.m. Hanselman has until July 19 to file an acceptable plea agreement.

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Indiana Court of Appeals Affirms Sentence for John Brooke

Posted on Author WKVI
John Brooke

The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld the sentence that was handed to John Brooke in Starke Circuit Court by Judge Kim Hall. Brooke had appealed the sentence challenging his conspiracy conviction and his sentence.

Brooke was sentenced to 22 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections after a jury found him guilty on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Intimidation, Possession/Manufacturing of a Destructive Device (a Molotov Cocktail), Possession of a Destructive Device, Resisting Law Enforcement, Unlawful Use of Body Armor and Assisting a Criminal. The charges stemmed from an incident at Bass Lake on February 15th, 2010, where Brooke was convicted of harboring a fugitive, Michael Drogosz, and they developed a plan to kill police officers and rob banks in Starke County. Several other people were also involved in the plan.

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Robert Corbin, Nathan Hummel have Hearings in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Robert "Ryan" Corbin

The initial hearing for Robert Ryan Corbin was held in Starke Circuit Court Tuesday. Corbin is charged with two counts of Attempted Child Seduction after he allegedly sent inappropriate Facebook messages and that he wanted to pick her up. He also requested pictures of the student and asked her explicit questions.

A preliminary plea of not guilty was entered for Corbin, who has retained Attorney Nicholas T. Otis of Newby Lewis Kaminski and Jones in LaPorte. His attorney announced his intent to file a motion to dismiss the charges and the state has 30 days to respond to the motion. The first pre-trial conference date for Corbin has been set for June 6th at 8:30 a.m., with a hearing on the motion to dismiss to take place at 9:00 a.m. Continue reading →

Clayton Reiss Sentenced

Posted on Author WKVI
Clayton Reiss

Clayton Reiss was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court this week.

Reiss pleaded guilty in a plea agreement to charges of Dealing in Schedule I, II, or III Controlled Substance as a Class B Felony and Dealing in Schedule IV Controlled Substance as a Class C Felony in one cause heard before Judge Kim Hall. He pleaded guilty in a plea agreement in a separate cause to Theft as a Class D Felony.

Judge Hall sentenced Reiss to six years each on both Dealing in Controlled Substance charges. Those sentences will run concurrently and shall run consecutively to a sentence of 12 months on the Theft charge. No part of the sentences were suspended. Reiss will serve those sentences in the Indiana Department of Corrections.

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Eric Wireman Arrested After Attempting Home Detention Escape

Posted on Author WKVI
Eric Wireman

After being on the run from Starke County Community Corrections for six days, Eric Wireman was arrested Tuesday after he was located by a Community Corrections recovery team at a motel in Winamac. Originally released on home detention for B-felony Burglary, Wireman failed to report to Community Corrections on Feb. 29 as part of his weekly check-in as a high-risk offender.

Community Corrections Director Shawn Mattraw said after Wireman’s failure to appear, multiple attempts to contact him were made. Officials traveled to his last known address and were told he had moved out shortly before they arrived, and they determined he had absconded from home detention. After six days of looking for him, a recovery team located him at a motel in Winamac and he has been arrested, with formal charges of Escape to be filed by the prosecutor.

Judge Kim Hall has expressed his agreement with the filing of official charges, and he sent Wireman to back to the Department of Corrections to serve out his initial sentence. The earliest possible release of Wireman is October 15.

Stacie Brown Sentenced

Posted on Author WKVI
Stacie Brown

Stacie Brown, 35, of Knox, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for causing the death of her stepson, three-year-old Ethan Brown on June 9th, 2011.

Knox Police Department Detective David Combs was on the witness stand almost two hours describing the case in detail. Brown had been charged with one felony count of battery resulting in death. Another count of Neglect of a Dependent was dropped in a plea bargain arrangement.

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Stacie Brown’s Sentencing Hearing Scheduled for Tuesday

Posted on Author WKVI
Stacie Brown

A sentencing hearing for Stacie Brown is scheduled in Starke Circuit Court tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

Stacie Brown pleaded guilty in a plea agreement in January to Battery Causing Death, a Class A Felony. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall will hear testimony in the case and will determine whether he will accept or reject the plea agreement. If the agreement is accepted, she could be sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison.

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Shelby Thomas Pleads Guilty to Two Class C Felonies

Posted on Author WKVI
Shelby Thomas

Shelby Thomas pleaded guilty to two counts of Intimidation as Class C felonies in the Starke Circuit Court Thursday. Thomas, 57, admitted to threatening to kill Officers James Upsall and Dave Combs while armed with a 10-inch knife.

The possible penalties for these charges are two to eight years in the Department of Corrections on each count, and Prosecutor Nick Bourff is hoping for a 16-year sentence for Thomas. No plea agreement has been filed, but Bourff has indicated he will dismiss the remaining charges against Thomas, including four counts of Attempted Murder, if victims in the case feel 16 years is a sufficient penalty.

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Alex Bradley Found Guilty in Trial this Week

Posted on Author WKVI
Alex Bradley

Alex Bradley was found guilty in a jury trial on a charge of Receiving Stolen Property in Starke Circuit Court this week.

He was found guilty of being in possession of a stolen golf cart. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall revoked his bond and he was taken back to the Starke County Jail. He will stay in the jail until his sentencing hearing on February 29th at 11:00 a.m.