2 sentenced, 9 appear in county CP Court

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Two people were sentenced and a total of nine people appeared for criminal hearings in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court this week.

On Monday, John McRedmond, 23, of Van Wert, appeared for an arraignment hearing on charges handed down by a recent grand jury indictment.

McRedmond entered not guilty pleas to one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. He was released on a personal surety bond and will appear for a pretrial conference at 8 a.m. Wednesday, December 13.

Also Monday, Justin Wright, no address listed, was sentenced to two years of community control on charges of operating a vehicle while impaired, a misdemeanor of the first degree, and negligent assault, a third-degree misdemeanor.

His community control sentence also includes 180 days in jail, with 177 days suspended, 72 hours in jail, or a driver’s intervention program by February 28, 2018, a substance abuse assessment and any treatment recommended, and a one-year driver’s license suspension. He was also fined $375 and court costs.

Several people also appeared for hearings on Wednesday, including two people who were sentenced by Judge Martin D. Burchfield.

Elmeco Crisp, 41, of Van Wert, was sentenced to 16 months in prison on a charge of trafficking in heroin, a fourth-degree felony offense, and nine months in prison on a fifth-degree heroin trafficking count.

Judge Burchfield ordered the two sentences to run consecutive to one another and gave Crisp credit for 95 days already served.

Lisa Dull, 54, of Van Wert, was given five years of community control on a charge of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree. She must also undergo a substance abuse assessment and complete any treatment recommended, as well as a drug court assessment.

Valarie Dean, 25, of Delphos, also entered a guilty plea to charges related to the death of her son, Hayden Ivan Ridinger, on Wednesday (see story below).

Dwaine Watts, 31, of Ottawa, admitted to violating his surety bond requirements by testing positive for drugs. A $10,000 cash/commercial surety bond was set in the case and a pretrial conference scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday, January 10, 2018.

Two people signed waivers of their constitutional right to a speedy trial in court on Wednesday.

Sonny Metzger, 42, and Donald James Smith, 39, both of Van Wert, waived their speedy trial guarantee to allow for more time to prepare their defense. Both men, who face charges unrelated to each other, will appear for pretrial conferences at 8 a.m. Wednesday, January 3, 2018.

Tawnie Johnson, 28, of Van Wert, changed her plea to guilty on a charge of possession of methamphetamine, a felony of the fifth degree. Two other drug possession charges were dismissed in exchange for her guilty plea on the meth possession count.

Judge Burchfield ordered a presentence investigation in the case and set sentencing for 9 a.m. January 10, 2018.