In Greene County district court Angus Foutch, 20, of Grand Junction was granted a deferred judgment May 9 after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of child endangerment. He was placed on probation for two years. Foutch must pay a $625 civil penalty and $100 court costs. A charge of domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury was dismissed. (Sentencing: Honorable Adrea A. Kester)
Kurtis Bradley Langfitt, 24, of Grand Junction was sentenced to 60 days in jail after he entered an Alford plea to a charge of assault causing bodily injury. In entering an Alford plea a defendant does not admit committing a crime, but believes that given the facts in the county attorney’s information, a jury would find him guilty of the crime. The jail time was suspended and he was placed on probation for one year. Langfitt was fined $315 with a $110.25 surcharge. He must also pay $40 restitution to the Greene County sheriff’s office, $120 restitution for his court appointed attorney’s fees, and $180 court costs. (Sentencing: Kester)
Scott Michael Harmer, 45, of Jefferson was sentenced May 9 to 48 hours in the county jail after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of operating while intoxicated (OWI)-first offense. He must also complete a community college class for drinking drivers. Harmer was fined $1,250 with a $437.50 surcharge and a $10 surcharge for drug abuse resistance education (DARE). Court costs were $100. (Sentencing: Kester)
Michael Dean Laub, 47, of Rippey was sentenced to two years in prison after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of driving while license barred- habitual offender. The prison time was suspended and he was placed on probation for two years. He was fined $625 with a $218.75 surcharge. He must also pay $90 restitution for his court appointed attorney’s fees and $100 court costs. A charge of identity theft was dismissed. (Sentencing: Kester)
Nicole Marie Frye, 34, of Grand Junction was granted a deferred judgment after she changed her plea to guilty to a charge of child endangerment. She was placed on probation for two years. She must pay a $625 civil penalty, $200 restitution for her court appointed attorney’s fees and $140 court costs. A charge of distributing counterfeit marijuana near a school- aiding and abetting was dismissed. (Sentencing: Kester)
Justin R. Jodoin, 23, of Churdan was sentenced May 9 to 48 hours in the county jail after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of operating while intoxicated (OWI)-first offense. He must also complete a community college class for drinking drivers. Jodoin was fined $1,250 with a $437.50 surcharge and a $10 surcharge for drug abuse resistance education (DARE). He must pay $90 restitution for his court appointed attorney’s fees and $100 court costs. (Sentencing: Kester)
A judgment was entered in magistrate court May 7 in a case initiated in district court in which Justice Marie Charles was charged with domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury. She pleaded guilty to an amended charge of assault. Charles was fined $100 with a $35 surcharge. She must also pay $60 restitution for her court appointed attorney’s fees and $60 court costs. (Sentencing: Magistrate Rita Pedersen)
Persons pleaded not guilty in district court as follows: Donald T. Thorpe, 63, of Scranton, OWI-first offense; David Ray Hale, 25, of Scranton, possession of marijuana; James Allen Ward, 35, of Grand Junction, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury; and Timothy James Dunphy, 29, of Duncombe, burglary-third degree- unoccupied motor vehicle, theft-first degree, and criminal mischief-first degree. Trial dates were set for July 22 for Thorpe, Hale and Ward, and for June 24 for Dunphy.
Cases were initiated in district court during the week that ended May 9 as follows: Estavan Espinosa Jones, 22, of Grand Junction, OWI-second offense, criminal mischief-second degree and eluding; Derek Ryan DeMoss, 26, of Jefferson, OWI-first offense; David Troy Upchurch, 36, of Jefferson, OWI-third offense and driving while license revoked; and Jaye Christopher Connner, 50, of Jefferson, driving while license revoked.
