Cheryl Paschen Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Cheryl Paschen

Cheryl Paschen was sentenced yesterday in Starke Circuit Court.

She pleaded guilty in plea agreement to two counts filed against her: Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of a Syringe.

Judge Kim Hall sentenced her to 18 months in the Indiana Department of Corrections with 6 months suspended on both charges. Both sentences will run concurrently and on home detention through Starke County Community Corrections. As a term of her probation, she will be entering into a drug rehabilitation program and she will need to complete treatment.

Continue reading →

Starke Circuit Court Judge Sentences Earl Beem, Jr.

Posted on Author WKVI
Earl Beem, Jr.

Earl Beem, Jr., of Knox was convicted of Possession of Methamphetamine Under Three Grams as a Class C felony in the Starke Circuit Court Thursday after previously pleading guilty as part of a plea agreement. Beem was sentenced to a total of 62 months in the Department of Corrections, making this his third trip to prison after he was convicted of a Probation Violation and Dealing A Legend Drug in the past.

Beem will serve four years for the felony, but will be serving an additional 14 months for violating his probation. In addition, the court recommended that he complete the CLIFF program.

Hearings Held in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall sentenced Cheryl Hughes yesterday on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Operating a Vehicle Dangerously While Intoxicated. She was sentenced to 13 months on the possession charge and 12 months on the OVWI charge. All time was suspended and will be served on probation. Her Driver’s License was suspended for nine months.

Continue reading →

Plea Agreements Heard in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Clayton Reiss

A plea agreement was rejected by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall yesterday for Clayton Reiss, who pleaded guilty to Theft as a Class D felony. Reiss is also currently booked in the Starke County Jail on separate charges, including two preliminary charges of Dealing in a Controlled Substance and three counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance after he was arrested on December 2nd. Judge Hall requested that Reiss undergo an evaluation by the probation department. A status hearing was set for 8:00 a.m. on January 26th. Continue reading →

Jeremy and Randall Rowe Appear for Initial Hearing in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Jeremy Rowe
Randall Rowe

Facing a total of over 20 charges stemming from a home invasion that occurred on Dec. 30, Jeremy and Randall Rowe made their initial appearances in the Starke Circuit Court this week. Each face charges of Robbery as both a Class A felony and a Class B felony, Robbery as both a Class A felony and a Class B felony, Intimidation as a Class C felony, Felon in Possession of a Firearm as a Class D felony, Receiving Stolen Property as a Class D felony, Pointing a Firearm as a Class D felony, and Possession of Marijuana as a Class A misdemeanor.

Continue reading →

Starke County Jail Meetings Planned for Later this Month

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Jail

The Starke County Jail Committee will be holding informational meetings on the jail situation in the third week in January. Although dates and locations have not been established, the Committee has agreed to meet at three sites.

The meetings are being held in the early stages of the Committee’s work to provide Republican Representative Doug Gutwein, of Francesville, with more information to present to the state legislature. Gutwein has agreed to author CEDIT legislation that could fund, or partially fund, whatever is decided by the committee as the best remedy for the aged jail structure.

Continue reading →

Initial Hearing Held in Starke Circuit Court for Donald Benton, Jr.

Posted on Author WKVI
Donald Benton, Jr.

Donald Benton, Jr. of North Judson made his initial appearance in the Starke Circuit Court this week where he faces charges of Intimidation as a Class C felony and Pointing a Firearm as a Class D felony. Benton pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and told Judge Kim Hall that he intends on hiring his own legal counsel. As a result, Hall set an attorney status hearing for Jan. 27 at 9 a.m.

Continue reading →

Initial Hearing Held in Starke Circuit Court for Timothy Howard, Jr.

Posted on Author WKVI
Tim Howard, Jr.

After he was arrested when police found him breaking into a home, Timothy Howard made his initial appearance in the Starke Circuit Court last week. Facing charges of Possession of a Legend Drug as a Class D felony, Attempted Residential entry as a Class D felony, Possession of a Controlled Substance as a class D felony, two counts of Resisting Law Enforcement as a Class A misdemeanor, Public Intoxication as a Class B misdemeanor, and Criminal Mischief as a Class B misdemeanor.

Continue reading →

Nathan Hummel has Initial Appearance in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Nathan Hummel

Nathan Hummel made his initial appearance in Starke Circuit Court yesterday afternoon. Hummel is accused of robbing the Knox CVS with his brother, Jonathan Hummel, on December 20th.

Hummel is charged with Dealing in Narcotic Drugs as a Class A felony; Robbery as a Class B felony; Aiding, Inducing, or Causing a Robbery as a Class B felony; Resisting Law Enforcement as a Class D felony; Criminal Mischief as a Class D felony; and Attempting to Disarm a Police Officer as a Class C felony.

Continue reading →

Kenneth K. Wallace’s Attorney Files Motion to Dismiss Case in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Kenneth K. Wallace

Kenneth K. Wallace made an appearance in the Starke Circuit Court Tuesday morning. Wallace’s attorney told Judge Kim Hall that he was interested in obtaining field notes from officers on duty that had responded to the incident. In addition, he requested several other forms of information that he says he was not provided with as part of the discovery process.

Continue reading →

Winamac Man Arrested on Rape, Domestic Battery Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Christopher Stonebraker

A Winamac man was arrested on Monday and charged with Rape and Domestic Battery.

It is alleged that Christopher Stonebraker raped his ex-wife and pushed her head into a wall causing her tooth to chip. The Probable Cause Affidavit also states that he reportedly scratched her back in the presence of two children. Stonebraker was arrested by an officer from the Indiana State Police and taken to the Starke County Jail on a Class B Felony Rape charge and a Class D Felony Domestic Battery charge.

Continue reading →

Starke County Democrat Caucus Scheduled Tonight to Replace Treasurer

Posted on Author WKVI
Linda Belork

There will be a Democrat Caucus tonight to select a replacement for Linda Belork, but the replacement will not be called the Treasurer of Starke County. Linda Belork, with counsel, appeared before Judge Kim Hall yesterday seeking an injunction against a Democrat caucus being held to fill her position by the precinct committeemen.

Judge Hall ruled that because State Statute does not guide him in this motion he would fashion a ruling on the testimony. The judge interviewed Attorney Ethan Lowe as well as Democrat Chairman Ken Wallace. When completed, Judge Hall ruled that a caucus could proceed tonight, but that the person selected would be referred to as the Interim Treasurer. As the Interim Treasurer, the candidate would have the full authority of the Treasurer’s position to make decisions and sign documents.

Continue reading →

Gabriel French Sentenced

Posted on Author WKVI
Gabriel French

Gabriel French received his sentence in the Starke Circuit Court last week for charges of Dealing in Methamphetamine as a class B felony. As part of a plea agreement, the defense and the state would argue the sentence to Judge Kim Hall up to a maximum of 15 years in the Department of Corrections and the other counts against him would be dismissed.

Continue reading →

Fred Boggess II Sentenced to 17 Years in the DOC

Posted on Author WKVI
Fred Boggess II

Fred Boggess II received his sentence in the Starke Circuit Court Wednesday after being found guilty by jury of Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors, Driving While Suspended, and False Informing. His sentencing took place in the Oregon-Davis High School.

During the sentencing, defense attorney Richard Ballard called Boggess’ mother, Dolores Boggess, to the stand. Dolores told the court that Boggess saved her life over the past year by taking care of her and doing odd jobs to help pay the bills. She said he did “everything he could” to help her.

Continue reading →

Starke Circuit Court Goes on the Road

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall

Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall will be on the bench today, but it will not be on the third floor of the Starke County Courthouse. Judge Hall is taking his court on the road.

“We’re going to have court at Oregon-Davis High School,” said Judge Hall. “The reason for this is that for many years, Oregon-Davis would bring a bus load of Seniors to the Starke Circuit Court and watch the court proceedings and they always enjoyed that and it was always educational for them. For the last couple of years, for various reasons, they haven’t been able to get to the Courthouse. I’ve been talking with some teachers and we’ve decided that we’re going to bring court to the Oregon-Davis High School. I checked with the Supreme Court and the staff there was not aware of any other court in Indiana doing this, but they thought it was a good idea. This morning, we’re going to have the prosecutors, defense attorneys and the Sheriff there with some of the inmates and we’re going to have regular court.”

Continue reading →

Starke Circuit Court Judge Denies Plea Agreement for Rose Martin

Posted on Author WKVI
Rose Martin

Rose Martin, 47, of Medaryville made her appearance in Starke Circuit Court this week for charges of Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of Chemical Reagents or Precursors.

There was some controversy in the courtroom when Martin told Judge Kim Hall that she submitted to a pre-sentence investigation over the phone and by mail rather than coming into the office, but there was no record of it being completed. Also, Martin said she had been accepted into the Community Corrections home detention program with electronic monitoring in LaPorte, but her case information indicated that she failed to make arrangements with Community Corrections.

Continue reading →

News from Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

After pleading guilty in September to Intimidation as a Class D felony, Carl Balaszek received his sentence before Judge Kim Hall in the Starke Circuit Court. Balaszek admitted to threatening the parents of his ex-girlfriend during what he describes as a “bad breakup” that has put his future in jeopardy. The victim submitted a letter to be read aloud in court, in which he stated that he was placed in fear of his life by Balaszek and was glad to see justice being served.

Continue reading →

Plea Deadline for Stacie Brown Extended

Posted on Author WKVI
Stacie Brown

The case against Stacie Brown continues with a plea deadline extension that was accepted by the Starke Circuit Court. Judge Kim Hall granted an extension to December 1st at 8:00 a.m. to allow Brown’s attorney, Timothy Lemon, to finish the discovery of the case and speak to some of the state’s witnesses. Lemon says the discovery is going well, but because expert witnesses are involved, he would like more time in order to speak to each of them.

Continue reading →