A sentencing hearing for a Knox man convicted of child molesting is postponed to Thursday, Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. in Starke Circuit Court.
On Jan. 11, a 12-member jury convicted 37-year-old Jerry Leonard of two counts of child molesting as a Class A Felony and two counts of performing a sexual act in front of a child as a Class D Felony. The jury deliberated for about one hour before returning guilty verdicts.
A Starke Circuit Court trial that began Monday morning has concluded with Starke County Prosecutor, Nicholas A. Bourff successfully prosecuting Jerry Leonard of child molesting.
According to a press release from the Starke County Prosecutor’s office, on Thursday, January 11th, a 12-person jury deliberated about one hour before returning guilty verdicts on two counts of child molesting as Class A Felonies and two counts of performing a sexual act in front of a child as Class D Felonies. Continue reading
A Knox man faces two counts of child molesting as Class A felonies and two additional counts as a Class C felonies in a Starke Circuit Court trial this week.
Jerry Leonard allegedly performed sexual acts with a girl less than the age of 14, four times spanning between 2012 and 2014 while living at a residence in Knox. A child forensic interview was conducted concerning these alleged acts at the First Light Child Advocacy Center in Marion, Indiana, in March of 2017, according to court documents. Continue reading
On Monday, November 20th 35-year-old Earl Beem, Jr. appeared in Starke Circuit Court where he pleaded guilty to two counts; Amended Count I: Conspiracy to Commit Dealing in Methamphetamine and Amended Count II: Conspiracy to Commit Trafficking with an Inmate.
The individuals who were also in court for the case were the defendant’s attorney Nathan Pearson, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mary Ryan, Honorable Judge Kim Hall, as well as the Deputy Sheriff and the Court Reporter. According to a plea and sentencing order provided by Court Reporter Delainah Hewlett, prior to the defendant’s plea, The Court discussed the specifics of the plea agreement and the defendant’s rights. Continue reading
A trial for 45-year-old Clayton Conley, of North Judson, is scheduled in Starke Circuit Court today. Conley is reportedly charged with stalking, a level 6 felony.
According to the provided police report, Conley was arrested twice on March 29th for separate incidents involving his sister. Detective Sergeant Adam Gray with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department reports that Conley was first escorted off his sister’s property around 7:53 a.m. when he refused to leave after an argument. Continue reading
Two people were sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Wednesday morning on drug charges in two separate incidents.
Joshua Muzik, 20, of Monon, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state to a felony charge of possession of methamphetamine and was sentenced on that charge to 13 months in the Starke County Justice Center with seven months suspended to be served on probation. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving while suspended and was sentenced to six months in the Starke County Justice Center. Those two sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time. Continue reading
A discretionary sentence was handed down by Starke Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall in three separate cases involving defendant Eric G. Wireman.
Wireman, 28, pleaded guilty in a plea agreement with the state on charges of possession of methamphetamine as a Level 6 Felony and two counts of burglary as a Level 5 Felony.
Edward Blackburn and his attorney, Caroline Briggs, were in Starke Circuit Court Thursday morning to present a status update on his case.
Court documents indicate Edward Blackburn shot Cord Colgrove, of Knox, in the head in front of three witnesses in rural North Judson on March 6.
A felony charge has been dropped against a woman who’d been accused of assisting a murder suspect back in March. Augusta Hadden, 39, was accused of throwing a cell phone out of a truck driven by Edward Blackburn, following the murder of Cord Colgrove in rural North Judson.
Defendant Jason Cooke appeared in Starke Circuit Court last week for a plea agreement and sentencing hearing, but Judge Kim Hall rejected the proposed agreement between Cooke and the State.
Cooke was arrested in October 2015 in an alleged robbery and beating of Sescoe Wireman of Knox at a home in the 100 block of East 500 South in Knox. Cooke is accused of hitting Wireman in the head and taking money, prescription medication, an Indiana ID card, and multiple credit cards from him. Wireman died following the alleged incident.
The defendant in a trial in Starke Circuit Court pleaded guilty during the final witness’s testimony Thursday afternoon.
Starke County Prosecutor Nicholas Bourff said Rodney Slusser pleaded guilty to charges of attempted battery with a deadly weapon as a Level 5 felony and criminal mischief as a Class B misdemeanor. With his guilty plea, Bourff moved to dismiss the other counts in the case which include another felony count of attempted battery with a deadly weapon, two counts of resisting law enforcement, and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving.
A two-day trial is scheduled to begin today in Starke Circuit Court.
Rodney Slusser is charged with two counts of attempted battery by means of a deadly weapon as a Level 5 felony, two counts of resisting law enforcement as a Level 6 felony and as a Class A misdemeanor, and misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief and reckless driving.
Trial dates were set for several defendants in Starke Circuit Court on Thursday morning.
Jerry Leonard, of Knox, is charged with four felony counts of child molesting. Two counts are Class A felonies and the remaining counts are Class C felonies. His trial with a 12-member jury is expected to start Jan. 8, 2018. There is a plea agreement deadline date in this case of Dec. 15.
Edward Blackburn will return to court for a status update in October.
Blackburn, 31, is facing a murder charge in Starke County. He is accused of killing Cord Colgrove in an incident in rural North Judson in March. Formal charges were filed on March 6 and he has been incarcerated in the Starke County Justice Center since his arrest.
The man accused of killing a Starke County man in March will be in Starke Circuit Court today for a final pre-trial and plea agreement deadline hearing.
A plea and sentencing hearing has been set in Starke Circuit Court in the case of Jason Cooke. Cooke, of Plymouth, is accused of hitting Sescoe Wireman and stealing several items from him in an incident at a home in the 100 block of East 500 South in Knox on Oct. 7, 2015. Court documents state that multiple strikes to Wireman’s head led to his death.
The Plymouth man allegedly involved in the robbery and beating of a Knox man in October of 2015 will appear in Starke Circuit Court this afternoon for a status hearing.
Jason Cooke is accused of hitting Sescoe Wireman in the head and taking money, prescription medication, an Indiana ID card, and multiple credit cards in an incident that occurred at a home in the 100 block of East 500 South in Knox on Oct. 7, 2015. Court documents state that multiple strikes to Wireman’s head led to his death. Continue reading
A Koontz Lake man was found guilty of three meth-related charges by a jury in Starke Circuit Court Thursday. Troy Bell was arrested in April of 2016, following a drug raid in Koontz Lake.
Lawyers with cases in Pulaski County can now file many court documents electronically. Electronic filing is now an option for over 40 types of civil and criminal cases in Pulaski Circuit and Superior Courts. It will become mandatory on Friday, September 22.
The woman who is connected to the murder of a Knox man in March is headed to trial on Oct. 11.
Augusta Hadden, 39, is charged with assisting a criminal. Court documents indicate she disposed of a cell phone out of a truck driven by Edward Blackburn after he allegedly shot and killed Cord Colgrove in North Judson on March 3rd. She remains in custody, but she is currently being held in the Pulaski County Jail.
