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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Jacobs Receives Sentence for Methamphetamine Charges

Posted on Author WKVI
Traci Jacobs

Traci Jacobs received her sentence in the Starke Circuit Court yesterday. Jacobs pleaded guilty to Operating an Illegal Drug Lab as a Class D felony, and was sentenced to 12 months in the Department of Corrections with none of that sentence suspended. In a separate case, Jacobs pleaded guilty to Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B felony and received a ten-year sentence in the Department of Corrections, with two of those years suspended. Two years of her executed sentence will be allowed to be served on home detention.

Those sentences will run consecutively. Upon her sentencing, one cause was dismissed in which she was charged with Theft as a Class D felony, and Trespassing as a Class A misdemeanor, and another case in Knox City Court was dismissed as well.

Jacobs was arrested on active arrest warrants and on preliminary charges of Manufacturing Methamphetamine with Intent to Deal, Possession of Precursors, Illegal Drug Lab, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Possession of Paraphernalia on Thursday, November 17th.

Monterey Man Charged in Battery Incident

Posted on Author WKVI
David Zachary

A Monterey man has been charged in a Monday battery incident.

David Zachary, 40, allegedly battered his girlfriend. The victim told police about the incident the day after the event. She explained that she was not allowed to leave the house or make any phone calls so she couldn’t report the incident right away. She was allowed to go to work the next day and after she picked up her children from school and day care, she went to the Starke County Sheriff’s Department to report the incident. The victim stated that Zachary reportedly became mad at her the day before and struck her. The victim’s children told police that Zachary allegedly said that if their mother called the police, he would kill her.

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Dylan Wooley Sentenced in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Dylan Woolley

Dylan Woolley was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court on Wednesday morning.

He had pleaded guilty in a plea agreement to charges of Burglary as a Class C Felony and Theft as a Class D Felony. He was arrested in August of last year after he told police that he broke into a garage. He told police that he didn’t find anything in the garage that he wanted so he went to another location and took two tents and a cordless drill from a shed. The items were returned to the owner.

Woolley was sentenced to three years in the Indiana Department of Corrections on the burglary charge and 18 months on the theft charge. The sentences were suspended and he will serve three years on probation.

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.

Jerrold Minix Appears for Initial Hearing

Posted on Author WKVI
Jerrold Minix

Former Starke County resident, 31-year-old Jerrold L. Minix, was arrested on two active arrest warrants earlier this month in LaPorte County. One warrant was for incidents that occurred in Starke County in 2007.

Minix appeared in Starke Circuit Court last week and pleaded not guilty to charges of Burglary, two counts, two counts of Theft and two counts of Receiving Stolen Property. He is suspected of entering Carpenter’s Oil in North Judson on December 4th, 2007 and stealing tobacco products and convenience items from the store. He also reportedly broke into the Sporty’z Bar at Bass Lake and stole a computer. He also allegedly stole tools from the utility garage owned by the Town of North Judson and a black duffel bag from the North Judson Little League Concession Stand.

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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.

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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.

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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 →

Cheryl Paschen Appears in Court for Plea and Sentencing Hearing

Posted on Author WKVI
Cheryl Paschen

Cheryl Paschen made an appearance in the Starke Circuit Court Thursday for her plea and sentencing hearing. She had previously posted bond and was on home detention for three months, but on October 20th, she was removed from monitoring and has been staying with her parents.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Mary Ryan told Judge Kim Hall that she would need written approval for Community Corrections confirming Paschen is eligible for home detention as part of the plea agreement. In addition, the state will need to check and ensure that warrant issues in LaPorte County and Florida will not interfere with the defendant’s ability to successfully complete the agreement.

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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.

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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.

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Robert Reed Initial Hearing Held in Starke Circuit Court

Posted on Author WKVI
Robert Reed

Robert Reed, of LaPorte, was in Starke Circuit Court last week where he pleaded not guilty to charges of Robbery, Receiving Stolen Property, and Resisting Law Enforcement as a Class D Felony and a Class A Misdemeanor charge.

The charges stem from an incident on May 22nd, 2011, when Robert Reed and Murriah Dailey allegedly stole items from Marvin Miller’s home. Police were alerted to the incident and they were found riding a motorcycle on State Road 10. An officer from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department attempted a traffic stop on County Road 750 West, they stopped and then took off and a pursuit began. The pursuit ended just past County Road 400 South. The motorcycle ran into soft dirt in a corn field and the pair fled from the motorcycle. A K9 unit was deployed and stopped Murriah Dailey, and Reed was detained by the K9 but later fled on foot. Dailey was in custody in the back of a North Judson Police car and she attempted to drive away in the car. The car was shot at and disabled and she was tased to gain compliance. She was taken to the Starke County Jail after she was medically cleared from IU Health Starke Hospital.

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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.

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