An admitted methamphetamine addict was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning.
Brian Tapia, 27 of Plymouth, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state to a charge of Possession of Methamphetamine as a Class D felony. Judge Kim Hall sentenced Tapia per the plea agreement to 18 months in the Department of Corrections with no part of that sentence suspended. The sentence will be served on home detention with day reporting.
Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff, in an exclusive interview Wednesday with WKVI, talked about the need to replace his Chief Deputy, Todd Wallsmith, with former Chief Prosecutor Mary Ryan.
“There were several factors that led to a quick decision,” said Bourff. “I knew going into it that this was going to be an issue I’d have to face. About a month ago when I gave an interview here, I said ‘if I’m creative enough with how I handle this, I think I can work through it’. I really did think that and then I got into the office and I learned that in order to make it work, I was going to have to absorb not only the previous Prosecutor’s case load, but also the previous Chief Deputy’s case load.”
WKVI has learned that new Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff has replaced his Chief Deputy Todd Wallsmith only two weeks into his term.
Both men had been employed by Wallsmith’s father, David, and had developed a friendship. But because Todd Wallsmith was a nephew of Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall, it would have been impossible for him to present cases before the Judge in court. That would have been a conflict.
Nicholas Bourff is the new Starke County Prosecutor, taking over from Julianne Havens. Ted Hayes sat down with Bourff last week and talked to him about a number of topics. In the interview, Bourff announced his staff including his First Deputy, Todd Wallsmith.
One of the questions Ted asked Bourff was what he will do with cases that are active, been filed by the former prosecutor, but have not been adjudicated.
