Arraignments dominate Wednesday court docket
Published 9:41 am Thursday, February 2, 2012
Several people indicted by a Lawrence County grand jury last week were in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court Wednesday answering those charges.
Linda Thacker, 43, of 370 Township Road 276N, South Point, was arraigned on one count of misdemeanor criminal trespass. Judge D. Scott Bowling transferred her case back to Lawrence County Municipal Court because the grand jury only indicted Thacker on a misdemeanor charge and not a felony. Likewise, the case against her alleged accomplice, James Coleman, 32, of 370 Township Road 276 N., South Point, was also transferred back to the municipal court. Coleman was also charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass.
Dan Bean, 33, whose last address listed with the courts was 2512 S. Sixth St., Ironton, was arraigned on one count of grand theft. He pleaded not guilty through his attorney, Mike Gleichauf. Bowling set a $50,000 own recognizance (OR) bond and scheduled a Feb. 22 pretrial conference.
Kevin Billups, 29, of 1669 12th Ave., Huntington, was arraigned on one count of receiving stolen property. Bowling set bond at $5,000 cash or surety and added a $20,000 OR bonds to it, and ordered Billups to return to court Feb. 22 for a pretrial conference.
Sandra Compston, 29, of 426 Private Drive 10461, Proctorville, was arraigned on 12 counts of forgery as well as misdemeanor charges of theft and receiving stolen property. She pleaded not guilty through her attorney, Mike Gleichauf.
Assistant Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson asked Bowling to set bond at $15,000 cash or surety, an amount Gleichauf said he found “a bit excessive.” He pointed out the most serious offenses are only fifth-degree felonies and two of her charges are misdemeanors.
“But she has a prior felony record,” Anderson countered. “She had a CCS (probation) violation in her last case and was sent to prison.”
Bowling set bond at $15,000 cash or surety but allowed Compston to post 10 percent. Because Compston has been in the Lawrence County Jail since November, Bowling scheduled a pretrial conference for next week and a trial date for Feb. 13.
By law, a person accused of a felony and is put in jail must be brought to trial within 90 days unless he or she waives the right to a speedy trial; the law is less strict when the person posts and is free pending trial.