LOUISA, KY. — Lawrence County Circuit Court was in session on Friday October 26th. and most, if not all people sentenced received probation. This new trend is clogging up the courthouse with repeat offenders.
Most on bond had more cases before they were sentenced for the first ones, costing extra work for Police Agencies and more money for the taxpayers. Some also jump bail and are charged for it yet when sentencing rolls around they still get probation with a pre-trial diversion. This was never a common practice in recent years, according to law enforcement officers.
People who jump bail were never allowed the luxury of probation considering if they won’t show up for court how will you expect them to show up for a probation officer? This also overwhelms the probation office and makes it almost impossible for offenders to be supervised efficiently, another officer who asked to not be named, said.
SENTENCED:
Clarence Childers, 47 was sentenced on 3 cases
1st case:
2 years for Fleeing or Evading Police, 1st degree,
2 years for Wanton Endangerment on Police Officer,
30 days for Driving On Suspended License.
Operating a MV under the Influence, 2nd offense was dismissed as well as No Required Insurance.
2nd case:
1 year for Escape,
1 year each of 2 counts of Theft By Unlawful Taking, concurrent but consecutive to 18-CR-91 and Persistent Felony Offender enhancement was dismissed.
3rd case: 1 year for Bailjumping and Persistent Felony Offender was dismissed.
Robert Clay, 56 Pled guilty and was sentenced to
3 years probation supervised over 5 years and other conditions for Trafficking in A Controlled Substance, methamphetamine
Freda Davis, 37 sentenced to
1 year consecutive to 17-CR-77 on Escape, 2nd degree and Persistent Felony Offender was dismissed.
Shawn Fitzpatrick, 23 Pled guilty to an amended charge of Engaging in Organized Crime-Criminal Syndicate, amended to Trafficking in a Controlled Substance and was sentenced to
10 years of Supervised Probation over 5 years with other conditions and Persistent Felony Offender was dismissed.
Sarah Hylton, 43 was sentenced to
12 months supervised probation on an amended charge of Trafficking to a misdemeanor Trafficking and Complicity Trafficking Within 1000 ft of a School was amended and she was sentenced to
12 months of probation. Defendant was released from BSRDC.
Cole May, 35 was present on a Probation Revocation Hearing with witness Billy Slone of Probation and Parole. Probation was revoked and defendant was remanded to the Dept. of Corrections to complete sentence.
Michael McMillian, 26 pled guilty and was sentenced to
1 year concurrent to Pike Co. case for Possession of a Controlled Substance, methamphetamine and Receiving Stolen Property was dismissed.
Christopher Ratliff, 37 was sentenced to an amended charge of Complicity Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, 1st degree and was sentenced to
2 years supervised probation with a pretrial diversion and
90 days of In home Incarceration.
Defendant was released on conditions with drug testing until final sentencing on 11-21-18.
Jayson Ratliff, 45 pled guilty and was sentenced to
2 ½ years supervised probation with a pretrial diversion, 180 days of Home Confinement and other conditions.Criminal Mischief was dismissed.
Steven Prince, 26 pled guilty to an amended Engaging in Organized Crime to Trafficking and was sentenced to
7 ½ years supervised probation over 5 years and other condition.
Joey Thomas, 32 pled guilty to Engaging in Organized Crime and was sentenced to
10 years probation to be supervised over 5. Persistent Felony Offender was dismissed. Final sentencing to be on 11-21-18.
Ricky Vance, 51 was sentenced on 2 cases,
2 years supervised probation over 4 years with a pretrial diversion for Bailjumping, Concurrent to 18-CR-32.
The defendant was also sentenced to
2 years for each of 2 counts of Burglary, 3rd degree and
2 years for Wanton Endangerment, 1st degree concurrent with other case.
Supervised probation with a pretrial diversion.
Jeramie Vanover, 41 pled guilty to an amended charge of Engaging in Organized Crime to Criminal Facilitation and received
5 years and Persistent Felony Offender enhanced to 10 years probation over 5 years with conditions.
Gregory Witham, 34 was sentenced on 3 Felony cases:
1st case:
3 years for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Methamphetamine,
3 years for Tampering with Physical Evidence and
12 months for Resisting Arrest concurrent but consecutive to other cases.
2nd case: sentenced to
2 ½ years for each of 2 counts of Complicity Receiving Stolen Property, consecutive to other cases.
3rd case: sentenced to
2 years for Possession Controlled Substance, 1st degree, methamphetamine. consecutive to other cases and other conditions.
Defendant was ordered to be released from incarceration.
PRETRIAL CONFERENCED AND ARRAIGNMENTS:
John Allen, 41 arraigned on Theft By Unlawful Taking over $500. Pretrial set for 11-21-18
Richard Bowens, 28 was present for a pretrial conference on Burglary, 3rd degree and Persistent Felony Offender, 1st degree. Next court date 11-21-18
Matthew Caudill, 36 had a motion of continuance granted on the charge of Engaging in Organized Crime and status set for 11-21-18.
Robert Chafin, 41 was set for arraignment on 2 counts of 1st degree Possession of Cocaine, 1st offense. Defendant was not present and a bench warrant was issued.
Joann Collins, 50 was present on Engaging In Organized Crime. Commonwealth to provide a discovery and will let the court know if agreement is reached.
Jeffery Copley, 46 was present for a status hearing on Complicity Trafficking, 1st degree, methamphetamine and Complicity Possession of Marijuana.
Robert Cyrus, 33 was arraigned on Complicity Possession Controlled Substance, 1st degree, methamphetamine. Pretrial set for 11-21-18.
Paul Hackney, 36 was present on Engaging In Organized Crime. A trial was continued on 5th was granted. Reset for report on the 9th.
Melvin Harmon, 28 was arraigned 3 cases:
Complicity Manufacturing Methamphetamine.
Pretrial set for 12-14-18 on first case.
Pretrial set for 12-14-18 on Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, 1st degree.
Defendant was also arraigned on Possession of A Controlled Substance, 1st degree, methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Pretrial date set for 12-14-18.
Randy T. Justice, 39 was present on the charge of Engaging In Organized Crime. Case reset for 11-9-18.
James Moore, 67 is set for trial on 2-25-19 for Failure to Comply With Sex Offender Registry, 2nd or greater offense.
Robert Parker, 35 an order was sent for defendant to be transfered to the BSRDC on 2 cases: charge of Convicted Felon In Possession of a Handgun. Reset for 11-9-18
2nd case: Complicity Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, methamphetamine, reset for 11-9-18.
Michael Pennington, 32 was arraigned on 2 cases: Possession of Controlled Sub., 1st degree, methamphetamine and no information on 2nd case. Pretrial set for 11-21-18.
Robert Powers, 25 was present on a Motion to Withdraw and to Continue. Both were granted and case of Engaging In Organized Crime was reset for Nov. 9th, 2018.
Hansel Wiley, 48 a hearing set for 11-9-18 on a Motion to Revoke Probation.
Michael Wilks, 42 was present on a status hearing on Trafficking in a Controlled Sub., 1st offense, methamphetamine and Persistent Felony Offender. Trial date set for 2-5-19.
Madison Evans, 21 was arraigned on Complicity Robbery, 2nd degree, Complicity Trafficking Controlled Substance, methamphetamine, Complicity Assault 4th degree, minor injury, Complicity Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Complicity Trafficking Marijuana, less than 8 oz.
Pretrial set for 11-21-18.
DISMISSED:
Bobby Dale, 30 was charged with Flagrant Non Support and Persistent Felony Offender. The charges with dismissed without prejudice.
Very little consequences as usual, this is the reason the drug epidemic is getting worse. The reason why they are placed on home arrest, probation, parole and MCR is money. The person given these sentences has to pay to stay out of jail. If your on probation or parole there a monthly supervision fee that has to be paid before your allowed to go off of these restrictions, if it house arrest the person pays for the monthly monitoring fee, now all of them has to pay a monthly drug test fee, even if they don’t get drug tested that month. So in short the court makes money on doing this hmmm, I wonder are there any hidden fees?
How is someone sentenced to 3 years probation supervised over 5 years and other conditions or 10 years of Supervised Probation over 5 years? This make no sense. Also, how is someone ordered to be released from custody who is just sentenced to more than total 14 years (running consecutive)? How does a sentence run concurrent but consecutive to other cases? It has to be one or the other. These sentences make no sense to the public except to prove one thing. If you’re gonna commit a crime, do it in Judge John D. Preston’s jurisdiction, you won’t get anything much!
Preston has turned the Lawrence County court system into a travesty. When you hear offenders boasting in public that they like going before Preston, then you know the system is out of control. We’ve watched repeat offenders go before this court time and time again yet the same charges always read “first offense”. I’ve never seen anything like this and I’ve lived here my entire life. Time to remove this judge from the bench along with the prosecutor and commonwealth attorney who allow this butchering of the judicial system to happen.
Christopher Bailey is charged with the murder of JoBeth Butcher my daughter. This case should have never been in a court system. My daughter should have been with me. I had temporary guardianship papers and was told she was an adult and he was her husband. She was 12 hours from a flight to Alaska with her intake into an abused women’s shelter and I was treated like a criminal by the sheriff for begging for my daughters life. Christopher Bailey was given my child over and over and over while she told me with her broken body and brain damage that they would not do anything to Chris referring to the police that he was with them????? I have a dead daughter who knew she was going to die she would refer to Chris as “Her Master” “ God”with her frail body, teeth knocked out, ligature marks!!! Everywhere she turned for help the door was closed. No not everywhere the County attorney and assistant County attorney and one bailiff treated my daughter as a human being and knew Christopher had control of her. You do not turn killers loose. The people manufacturing methamphetamine are murderers. There is so much more to this case. They will offer a plea bargain… The more time that goes by the more people forget. I will never forget. She is my first born child! You do not plea bargain a life! A life for a life!!!!! There should be no plea bargain in murder!!! Hurt a case???? How can I damage anything??? My child is dead!! Christopher Bailey is alive with jail privileges! I want him to live to be 100 years old and I pray he finds the God he did not believe in!!!! Everyone is trained to “Be quiet”. “Don’t compromise the case”. I watch murders walk away with less than a smack on the hand while families mourn, children are left with no mother!!!! God gave me a voice and a life I will use both for Justice for JoBeth she is my beautiful daughter and I will never let her be forgotten! Christopher Bailey’s alias from high school was “Lawyer”. He never got in trouble he used everyone else to take the blame for his crimes. He would brag about being smarter than the judicial system…… Still does….