Two Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Two women were sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday.

Natasha Long pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the State to a charge of Theft as a Class D felony. She was sentenced to 24 months in the Department of Corrections with all of that time suspended to be served on probation. She also pleaded guilty to a charge of Possession of Marijuana as a Class A misdemeanor. Long was sentenced per the terms of the agreement which called for 12 months in the Starke County Jail. That sentence was suspended to be served on probation. The sentences will run concurrently for a total of 24 months on probation.

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Donald Frazier Found Guilty

Posted on Author WKVI

starke-county-courthouseA Starke County jury has found Donald Frazier guilty on two counts in a one-day trial.

The six-member jury took less than 15 minutes Wednesday to find Frazier guilty on charges of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated and Possession of Paraphernalia. He pleaded guilty to a charge of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated with a Prior Conviction and that merged with the other OVWI charge which made it a Class D felony.

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Christopher McNeese Sentenced to 15 Years in the DOC

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall accepted a plea agreement between the State and defendant Christopher McNeese in which he was sentenced in two different cases to a total of 15 years in the Department of Corrections.

McNeese pleaded guilty in a plea agreement to a charge of Burglary as a Class B Felony. Per the terms of the agreement, McNeese was sentenced to 11 years in the Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended.

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James Campbell Pleads Not Guilty to Arson Charge

Posted on Author WKVI
James Campbell
James Campbell

James Campbell pleaded not guilty to a charge of Arson as a Class A felony in an initial hearing in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon.

Campbell is accused of intentionally setting a fire on March 20 at his business known as Starke County Recycling at the corner of U.S. 35 and Toto Road south of Knox. A Bass Lake fireman was injured while battling the blaze at the business. Eight fire departments were called to the scene to contain the fire.

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Defendant’s Alleged Probation Violation Prompts Bond Revocation

Posted on Author WKVI
Starke County Courthouse
Starke County Courthouse

Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall revoked a bond for a defendant during an initial hearing Wednesday afternoon.

Tiffany Witham pleaded not guilty to charges of Possession of a Syringe and Possession of a Controlled Substance as Class D felonies.

During her initial hearing, it was learned that she allegedly violated probation. She told Judge Hall that she attempted to go obtain treatment as outlined in her probation but she hadn’t found the right rehab program. She was then arrested on these new charges.

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Offenders Appear in Court for Violations

Posted on Author WKVI

Two offenders appeared in Starke Circuit Court yesterday after it was found that they violated terms of their plea agreements and rules with Community Corrections.

David Ratcliff of San Pierre was serving a sentence on home detention and work release when he violated several rules. He violated a major financial agreement, failed drug screens and was in possession of contraband. Judge Kim Hall ordered him to serve the remainder of his 24 month sentence in the Department of Corrections. He was given credit time from July 11 to March 27 plus three days.

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Judge Sets Bond for Businessman Charged with Arson

Posted on Author WKVI
James Campbell
James Campbell

Bond has been set at $2 million for the owner of a Knox business destroyed by fire on Thursday, March 20. Starke Circuit Judge Kim Hall found probable cause to charge James Campbell, 46, with arson, which is a Class A felony, during a Sunday afternoon hearing in his courtroom. He also ordered Campbell to surrender his passport. Officers from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office arrested Campbell late Friday. He owns Starke County Recycling, also known as C&C Salvage. The business, located on U.S. 35 just south of Toto Road, caught fire on Thursday, March 20. Starke County dispatchers were notified at 5:17 p.m. The Bass Lake, Knox-Center Township, Hamlet, Washington Township, Koontz Lake, North Judson-Wayne Township, San Pierre and Monterey Fire Departments all responded to the blaze and spent several hours getting it under control. One firefighter was injured. Black smoke was visible for miles, and a brigade of tanker trucks hauled water to the scene. Continue reading →

Johnny Dubois Found Not Guilty in Bench Trial

Posted on Author WKVI

A bench trial was held Wednesday in Starke Circuit Court in which Judge Kim Hall heard testimony in the matter of Johnny Dubois.

Dubois was charged with Intimidation, a Class D felony. As written in the charging information, Dubois had verbally threatened to physically harm the victim if she didn’t give him the money he wanted. He also told her that he would kill her if she took their children away from him.

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Bench Trial Held in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

 
 
A bench trial was held yesterday in Starke Circuit Court in the case of Johnny DuBois.

During a pre-trial motion and instructions hearing on Tuesday, both the defense and the state agreed to waive the right for a trial and the defense asked for a bench trial which was granted.

Both sides presented evidence in the case yesterday and Judge Kim Hall took all evidence under advisement. Judge Hall will deliver a verdict today at 10 a.m.

Offenders Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Several offenders were sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Tuesday morning.

Starke County Courthouse
Starke County Courthouse
Steven Brown pleaded guilty to charges of Possession of a Firearm without a Permit, a Class A misdemeanor and a charge of Possession of a Firearm without a Permit with a Prior Conviction, a Class C felony. Those two charges merged into one count. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of Trespass as a Class A misdemeanor. Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall sentenced Brown to four years in the Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended, plus one year in the Starke County Jail on the trespass charge. The sentences will run concurrently. He was permitted to serve his sentence on home detention with electronic monitoring.

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Kyle Sullivan Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Starke County Courthouse
Starke County Courthouse
A man is not allowed to visit the Hamlet Apartments as part of his plea agreement that was accepted during a hearing in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday morning.

Kyle Sullivan pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state to charges of Residential Entry as a Class D felony and misdemeanor charges of Criminal Mischief (two counts) and Trespass.

Sullivan was sentenced to serve 13 months in the Department of Corrections and one year in the Starke County Jail on each of the misdemeanor charges. The sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time. Sullivan was permitted to serve his sentence on electronic monitoring home detention through Knights Community Corrections. He was also ordered to pay $274.40 in restitution and not to be on the property of the Hamlet apartments.

Hanley Warren Chapman Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Hanley Warren Chapman
Hanley Warren Chapman
Hanley Warren Chapman was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Thursday afternoon.

Chapman was arrested on Aug. 7, 2013 after he fired three shots into the floor of his home with his brother-in-law present. The SWAT team was called to the home in North Judson in order to assist the North Judson Police Department in taking him into custody. The SWAT team entered the home and found Chapman in a room in the basement. He was highly intoxicated at the time he was taken to the Starke County Jail.

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Five Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

Five offenders were sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning after pleading guilty to charges in individual plea agreements with the State.

Chase Miller pleaded guilty to a charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance as a Class D felony. Judge Hall sentenced Miller to 13 months in the Indiana Department of Corrections with that entire sentence suspended to be served on probation. If he successfully completes a drug rehabilitation program as determined by the probation department, he may petition the court for misdemeanor treatment of the charge. The State may object to that request.

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William Allen Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI

William Allen was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Tuesday morning.

Allen pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the State to a charge of Domestic Battery as a Class D felony. Judge Kim Hall sentenced Allen per the terms of the agreement to 36 months in the Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended. He was permitted to serve the sentence on home detention.

As a term of his sentence, Allen will undergo necessary and appropriate classes or programs offered by Starke County Community Corrections to assist in his rehabilitation.

This sentence will be served consecutively to a sentence to be handed down in LaPorte County on a probation violation charge.