At the request of the defendants, these referenced cases are continued from June 5, 2023, until Aug. 7, 2023. Said continuances are granted for a showing of good cause, only as long as necessary, taking into account not only the request or consent of the prosecuting attorney, but also the public interest in prompt disposition of the case. Said period of continuances shall be an excluded period from the speedy trial rule. Defendants are ordered to appear on the said date at 9 a.m. in the Newton County Courthouse in Jasper for the purpose of a jury trial.
Some cases continued were originally filed in 2020.
Defendants listed include:
Anthony Smith, 20-61; Tyler Siebert, 20-76; Benjamin Edwards, 21-12; Matthew Hamnlin, 21-19; Logan Ratliff, 21-36; Anthony Smith, 21-58; James Blanton, 21-68; Dewayne Henderson, 21-81; Ali Christian, 22-30; John Eddings, 22-40; Andrews Campbell, 22-43; Caplet Hill, 22-44; Dale Myers, 22-46; Daniel Eastep 22-47; Aaron Guynn, 22-5; Eric Hacker, 22-52; William Nelson, 22-8 and Timothy Malone, 22-56.
The following are Newton County Circuit Court cases found on the Administrative Office of the Courts CourtConnect Website https://caseinfo.arcourts.gov/cconnect/PROD/public/ck_public_qry_main.cp_main_idx.
Cases are listed by file number and defendant.
51CR-21-33 - Jesse Gaylen Puddu, 41, was formally charged in June 2021 with breaking or entering, a class D felon and theft of property, a class D felony.
It was alleged that on June 19, 2020, the defendant had ransacked a persons car and removed some of the person's belongings.
The case was continued until last May when a court order of nolle prosequi was filed. The order states the victim does not wish to proceed in this matter and has submitted an affidavit to drop charges. The State discussed this matter with the victim and has elected not to proceed.
51CR-21-53 - Nathan R. Richardson, 38, was charged in August 2021 with commercial burglary, a class C felony; theft of property, a class D felony; criminal mischief in the first degree, a class A misdemeanor and habitual offender.
Court papers read that on July 14, 2021, a deputy was dispatched to JB Trading Company in Compton in reference to a burglary. The front glass door was broken and the suspect left with a trashcan full of merchandise.
Security cameras recored a black Chevrolet car entering the parking lot between 6:15 and 6:20 p.m. on July 13. The male subject is seen taking to a couple in a side by side. After the couple leaves he went to his car and took a hammer from the vehicle which he uses to shatter the glass in the door. The subject is seen loading items into a trashcan. The subject was in the store for under 4 minutes. The value of items stolen totaled to be $2,071.40. The cost to replace the glass door totaled $450.
Investigations lead to identifying the suspect and on July 15, 2021, Richardson was arrested following a traffic stop in Carroll County.
Richardson had four prior felony convictions on charges of burglary, theft of property, felony drugs and felony aggravated assault.
Richardson made a plea on July 27, 2022 and the case was formally closed in August, 2022.
Richardson was sintered 8 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction on the burglary charge, 4 years on the theft of property charge and 90 days in jail on the criminal mischief charge. Those sentences are being served concurrently along with convictions from two Benton County cases. He was also fined $1,000 and ordered to make restitution totaling $2,521.40.
51CR-22-34 - Everett Gerald Shelton, 64, was formally charged in June 2022, with aggravated assault, a class D felony and terroristic threatening in the first degree, a class D felony.
It was alleged that on April 2, 2022, the defendant confronted a man outside his residence claiming to won the man's property. The defendant said he was going to cut and stab the victim. The defendant produced a knife approximately 7 to 9 inches long. Two witnesses observed the altercation.
A plea statement was entered in the case on July 6, 2023.The defendant pleaded guilty to both charges and received six years of state supervised probation on each charge. He was also fined $1,000.
51CR-22-36 - Tracy Milne-Jones, 45, was charged in June 2022 with theft of property, a class B felony; driving while intoxicated, drugs, an unclassified misdemeanor; refusal to submit to chemical test, an unclassified misdemeanor and driving left of center, an unclassified misdemeanor.
It was reported in the case files that on June 17, 2022, the defendant unlawfully took without permission a Chevrolet Equinox valued at $30,000 from the owner. Newton County Sheriff Glenn Wheeler met the defendant driving the stolen vehicle in the opposite direction. The defendant drove in to the on-coming lane and nearly struck the sheriff. Upon contact, the defendant admitted to being "in trouble." The defendant later began speaking rapidly and unintelligibly and flailed around in the back of the police unit. Based on the defendant's behavior and statements, officers determine the defendant was under the influence of narcotics. Officers attempted to go over the Arkansas DWI Statements of Rights and the defendant was unable to concentrate or answer questions.
The case proceeded until a plea agreement was filed in May 2023.
The court order sentenced the defendant to 6 years probation on the amended charge of theft of property, a class D felony. She was sentenced to five days in jail on the DWI charge. Driving left of center and refusing to submit to chemical test charges were dismissed.
The case was officially closed on June 22, 2023.
51CR-22-39 - Ronnie Lewis, 55, was formally charged in July 2022 with attempted residential burglary, a class C felon; and criminal mischief in the first degree, a class A misdemeanor.
On or about May 7, 2022, at 6 a.m. the defendant allegedly attempted to kick in the front door of a woman's residence. The woman was 71 years old, uses an oxygen tank has difficulty hearing and is the caretaker for two small children. Information state. The woman witnessed the defendant rearing back and kicking her door. The defendant was reported saying, "You know what I want and I'm coming in and taking it." After police were contacted, the defendant left in his vehicle and stated, "I'll be back." The defendant damaged the door and doorknob.
The case concluded with a plea statement filed July 6, 2023.
Lewis pleaded guilty to an amended charge, from attempt of residential burglary to criminal trespass, a class C misdemeanor and the criminal mischief charge. He was sentenced to 12 months of supervised probation and was fined $500.
51CR-22-40 - John W. Eddings, 30, was charged in August 2022 with possession of Schedule I or II Controlled substance, methamphetamine, a class D felony and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class D felony.
Court filings state that on June 6, 2022, the defendant was observed walking on Gladden Street in Western Grove. He had been called in to the sheriff's office as a suspicious subject at the Western Grove Villa apartments where he was not a resident. It was found there was a warrant for Eddings' arrest in Boone County.
Eddings was in the process of being taken under arrest when he alerted the deputy that he had a needle in his backpack and that he uses methamphetamine.
A search of the backpack resulted in syringes, a liquid substance and plastic bags having a white residue.
Eddings made a plea agreement filed July 6, 2023. He pleaded guilty to both charges and received concurrent sentences of 3 years of state supervised probation. He was also fined $1,000.
51CR-22-48 - Chase Alexander Campbell, 31, was charged in October 2022 with third degree escape. According to court information on Oct. 1, 2022, the defendant did escape from the custody of the Newton county jail.to the charge in February 2023. He was sentenced to 5 years of supervised probation and 167 days in the county jail with credit for 167 days service. He was also fined $1,000.
51CR-22-54 - Joe Wayne Campbell, died April 15, 2023. No further proceedings in this matter are warranted and all charges shall be dismissed, according to the case record on May 26, 2023.
Campbell, 67, had been charged with possession of schedule II controlled substance, methamphetamine, a class D felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, methamphetamine, a class D felony; possession of schedule VI controlled substance, marijuana, a class A misdemeanor and no license plate light equipped, unclassified misdemeanor.
It was alleged in court filings that on Sept. 3, 2022, deputies were northbound on state Highway 123 in the Piercetown area. A white truck pulled out of County Road 4300 and began traveling south. There was no lamp illuminating the license plate area of the vehicle. A traffic stop was initiated. The driver granted deputies access to the vehicle. They located a small amount of marijuana, less than two grams of methamphetamine, some plastic straws having a white residue and a lightbulb with burnt residue.
51CR-22-58 - Jonathan Spivey, 54, was formally charged in December 2022 with aggravated assault on family or household member, a class D felony and domestic barely in the third degree, a class A misdemeanor.
According to case files on or about Sept. 21, 2022, the defendant flipped his wife out of her recliner and dragged her around the room. He beat her on the face, arms and body with a pillow. He knocked her glass off of her face and when she reached for them he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her around the room again. The she attempted to get up the defendant pulled. Her back to the ground by her hair and put his foot to her throat, restricting her airway.
The woman was able to escape and took the house the as she left there house.
The case proceeded until June 22, 2023, when an order was filed granting the state's motion to transfer the case to Newton County District Court. The circuit court closed the case on June 26, 2023.
51CR-22-60 - Margaret Ann Phillips, 55, was charged Dec. 19, 2022, with possession of a schedule I/II controlled substance, hydrocodone, a class D felony; criminal trespass, a class C misdemeanor; operating a motor vehicle during a period of license suspension or revocation, an unclassified misdemeanor and no proof of vehicle insurance, an unclassified misdemeanor.
It was alleged that on Nov. 16, 2022, a deputy performed additional protocol around the premises of an individual who had made complaints of prior trespasses. The deputy observed the defendant on the premises. The defendant then left the premises, entered her vehicle and began traveling down the road. The deputy confirmed the defendant had a suspended license for a prior DWI and was on active supervision with a search waiver. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and discovered the defendant did not have proof of insurance. The vehicle was searched and a hydrocodone pill was found in the defendant's purse to which no valid prescription could be provided. The defendant later admitted she did not have permission to be on the premises and did not know someone owned it.
A plea statement in the case was filed April 19, 2023. The state dismissed the possession, trespass and no proof of vehicle insurance charges. Phillips pleaded guilty to operation a vehicle during a period of license suspension or revocation and was fined $500. The case was officially closed April 28, 2023.
51CR-23-4 - Terry Blackburn, 70, died March 11, 2023. No further proceedings in this matter are warranted and all charges shall be dismissed, according to a court order filed May 4, 2023. Blackburn had been formally charged with simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, a class Y felony; manufacture of a schedule VI controlled substance, marijuana, a class C felony and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor.
A summary of the facts in the case says on aug. 10, 2022, agents with the 14th Judicial district Drug Task force conducted a probable cause search of the defendant's residence regarding the possession and manufacturing of marijuana. Agents found two large marijuana plants under the mobile home, various buckets in the tree line where the marijuana plants were first observed, miracle grow, planter pots, potting trays, eight glass jars containing processed marijuana, two bags containing processed marijuana, a wooden one-hitter with a pipe and processed marijuana and a smoking device. A total amount of 10.6 ounces of processed marijuana was recovered. Agents also located a loaded Ruger LCP handgun on the defendant's person and nine other firearms inside his residence.
51CR-23-5 - Bryan Alan Swaffar, 31, was formally charged in January 2023 with possession of schedule I/II controlled substance (methamphetamine) a class D felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, a class D felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, a class D felony and possession of schedule VI controlled substance, marijuana.
The summary of facts in the case says on Nov. 28, 2022, a deputy conducted a lawful traffic stop on the defendant. The defendant was the driver of a vehicle with expired tags and had a suspended driver's license. Under the driver's seat the deputy found 6 needles and a silver spoon with suspected methamphetamine residue, a small bag with suspected methamphetamine and a small bag of suspected marijuana. The defendant has a previous conviction of a misdemeanor drug charge.
A plea statement in the case was filed April 19, 2023.
The state dismissed one possession of drug paraphernalia charge and the marijuana misdemeanor charge.
Swaffar pleaded guilty to the other two charges and was given concurrent sentences of three years of state supervised probation. He was also fined $750.
The sentencing order was filed on April 28, 2023.
51CR-23-6 - Everett Gerald Shelton, 64, was formally charged in February, 2023, with residential burglary, a class B felony; violation of a protection order, a class A misdemeanor and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor..
The court information states on Sept. 30, 2022, the defendant unlawfully entered the residence of a woman and made contact with her. The defendant has an active order of protection against him, protecting the woman. The order was entered one aug. 30, 2022, in case number 51DR-22-315. The defendant was prohibited by the order of protection from entering the Jasper residence. Upon arrest the defendant had a metal pipe with burnt marijuana residue in his pocket..
A court order of nolle prosequi was filed July 6, 2023. The order states, pursuant to the plea agreement in case number 51CR-22-34, the state elects not to proceed in this matter. The case was closed at that time.
51CR-23-7 - Jared Daniel Garden, 32, was charged in February 2023 with firearm possession-restrictions, a class D felony.
Court information states that on Jan. 10, 2023, deputies assisted probation officers in a home visit of the defendant. Officers located a.22 caliber revolver underneath the defendant's pillow in his bed. The defendant stated he does gunsmithing. When officers stated he could not gunsmith due to his felon conviction, the defendant said he knew that.
A plea statement was entered in the case on April 19, 2023. Garden pleaded guilty and received a sentence of 6 years of state supervised probation to run concurrently and running concurrently with 51CR-21-39. He was also fined $500.
51CR-23-12 - Dallas A Byrd, 34, was charged April 19, 2023 with possession of schedule I/II controlled substance methamphetamine, a class D felony and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor.
On March 20, 2023, officers conducted a home visit of the defendant. Officers located a folded one dollar bill containing a white powdery substance and a plastic bag containing less than two grams of the same white powdery substance. The substances field tested positive for methamphetamine. The defendant admitted the substance was his.
A plea statement was entered in the case on June 13, 2023. The defendant pleaded guilty to both charges. On the controlled substance charge ,he was given a sentence of 6 years of supervised probation. He was sentence one day in the county jail with jail time credit of one day on the possession of drug paraphernalia misdemeanor. He was also fined $500.
