In Greene County district court Ryan James Brown, 42, of Jefferson was sentenced to two days in jail after he entered an Alford plea to a charge of possession of marijuana. In entering such a 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. Brown must undergo a substance abuse evaluation and complete any recommended treatment at his own expense. His driver’s license was revoked for 180 days. Brown was fined $315 with a $110.25 surcharge, a $10 drug abuse resistance education (DARE) surcharge and a $125 Law Enforcement Initiative (LEI) surcharge. Court costs were $100. Charges of possession of methamphetamine and unlawful use of prescription drugs (six counts) were dismissed. (Sentencing: Honorable Adria A. Kester)
Patrick Ryan Thompson Sr, 24, of Grand Junction was sentenced to five years in prison after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. The prison term is concurrent to a five year term in a case from June 2013 in which Thompson faced an identical charge. In the earlier case, the prison term was suspended and Thompson was placed on probation. His probation was revoked in that case. Thompson was fined $75 with a $262.50 surcharge. The fine and surcharge were suspended. Thompson must pay $90 restitution for his court appointed attorney’s fees and $181 court costs. (Sentencing: Kester)
Joseph Virgil Peterson, 32, of Jefferson was sentenced April 24 to two years in prison after changing his plea to guilty to a charge of operating while intoxicated (OWI)-second offense. All but seven days of the prison term was suspended and he was placed on probation for one year. He must pay a sheriff’s fee for the jail time he serves. He must complete the recommendations of a substance abuse evaluation and a community college drinking driver’s class. Peterson was fined $1,875 with a $656.25 surcharge and a $10 DARE surcharge. Court costs were $100. (Sentencing: Kester)
Persons pleaded not guilty at arraignments as follows: Joseph Robert Hupp, 23, of Scranton, OWI-first offense; Richard Charles Burkhardt, 46, of Jefferson, driving while license barred; and Matthew Lynn Durbin, 22, of Jefferson, OWI-first offense. Trial dates were set for June 23 in every case.
Cases were initiated during the week ending April 24 as follows: Kyle Alan Abernathy, 21, of Jefferson, operating a vehicle without owner’s consent; Patrick J. Doepp, 48, of Grand Junction, assault-serious; Randy Alan Gray Jr, 36, of Scranton, possession of a firearm by a felon, theft-third degree and possession of methamphetamine-second offense; Dante Westley Copeland, 20, of Panora, unauthorized use of credit card; and Polly Marie Buaer, 46, of Coon Rapids, OWI-first offense.
