Jennie Carter Bench Trial to Begin Today in Starke Circuit

Jennie Carter
Jennie Carter
Jennie Carter will appear in Starke Circuit Court this morning at 9 a.m. for a bench trial. She had been slated for a jury trial but her attorney filed a waiver for a bench trial which was granted in a hearing yesterday afternoon. Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall will preside over the hearing and make a judgment after all evidence is heard. Fifteen witnesses are expected to testify in this case.

Continue reading

Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty

Kathleen Holt
Kathleen Holt

The woman who allegedly shot her boyfriend at their home in Knox appeared in Starke Circuit Court for an initial hearing this morning. Kathleen Holt pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, which carries a sentence of 45 to 65 years if she is convicted of that charge. Continue reading

Starke Judge Rules on Commercial Structure Debate

Starke County Courthouse
Starke County Courthouse

The ongoing debate between Betty and George Dotlich and Julia Ford seems to have come to a conclusion, as Patrick Blankenship, special judge with the Starke Circuit Court, ruled that the Starke County Board of Zoning Appeals failed to follow proper procedure, allowed ex parte communication, and made a decision unsupported by substantial evidence.

The case came to light when Julia Ford of Starke County purchased a used manufactured commercial office structure that had been certified in Illinois and applied for a permit to convert it to a single-family residence, which the BZA approved on Jan. 11, 2012. Petitioners George and Betty Dotlich, James and Linda Siroky, and Anthony and Jane Standifer own real estate adjacent to Ford’s residence.

Continue reading

Jury Convicts Singleton on All Counts; Sentencing Set for March

Starke County Courthouse
Starke County Courthouse
The trial against a man accused of manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of two young children came to a close last night in the Starke Circuit Court, where a jury found Robert Singleton guilty on all counts after a three-and-a-half hour deliberation.

The jury found Singleton guilty of Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B felony, and Possession of Precursors, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Maintaining a Common Nuisance as Class D felonies.

Continue reading

Richard Garrison Sentenced to Nine Years in DOC

Starke County Courthouse
Starke County Courthouse

A man who had been arrested in September when police discovered a methamphetamine lab operation inside a hotel room in Knox received his sentence in the Starke Circuit Court this week. Richard Garrison, Jr., was arrested alongside several others on Sept. 1, 2012, when police arrived at the Super Value Inn to issue an arrest warrant and stumbled upon a room housing active methamphetamine labs, paraphernalia, methamphetamine, and a slew of other drugs.

Continue reading

Knox Man Sentenced to 14 Years in DOC

Starke County Courthouse

A Knox man received his sentence in the Starke Circuit Court this week after he pleaded guilty to Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B felony and two counts of Neglect of a Dependent, Class C felonies.

Police arrested 35-year-old Gregory Tolson on Oct. 2 after an investigation over the course of several months. Police executed a search warrant at the home and found methamphetamine, several precursors, paraphernalia, and several methamphetamine labs, as well as two young children in the home near the toxic fumes. Tolson was arrested alongside Cherie Tolson and Nathan Vermilyer who faced similar charges, and the Indiana Department of Child Services arrived on the scene took possession of the two children.

Tolson was sentenced to 14 years in the Department of Corrections with two years suspended.

Status Hearing Set for Knox Teacher Accused of Sexual Misconduct

Todd Boldry

There have been no major developments in the case against a former Knox High School teacher accused of fathering a child with a former student. The Knox Community School Board initially suspended Boldry with pay on Aug. 24 and has since been suspended without pay.  Superintendent A.J. Gappa said earlier that substitute teachers will fill the position until the outcome of the investigation is determined.

Continue reading

Man Previously Convicted of Forgery Heads Back to Jail for Six-Year Sentence

Starke County Courthouse

A man convicted in 2008 for forging multiple checks from the North Judson-San Pierre Band Boosters was sentenced last week in Starke Circuit Court for violating his probation. Joseph Rojas, Jr. was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in the Department of Corrections with six years suspended. He was recently released to probation under the condition that he make his monthly restitution payments.

Unfortunately for Rojas, he failed to pay his restitution, the total for which was $14,850 and he missed a number of probation appointments as well.

Continue reading

O’Bryant Sentenced to 150 Years

Steven O'Bryant

A 43-year-old Starke County man has been sentenced after being found guilty on three counts of Child Molesting as a Class A felony.

Special Judge John M. Marnocha from St. Joseph Superior Court sentenced Steven L. O’Bryant in Starke Circuit Court yesterday to serve 150 years in prison. O’Bryant was found guilty of the charges after a jury trial in his case in early November. A dozen witnesses were called to the stand, including ten from the state and two from the defense. The jury took less than two hours to find that he was guilty of molesting a juvenile while he stayed at that juvenile’s Starke County residence over the course of two months from March 30 to May 30.

Continue reading

Three Men Plead Not Guilty In Starke Circuit Court

Starke County Courthouse

Three initial hearings were heard in the Starke Circuit Court this week for men accused of a variety of crimes, including Dealing in Cocaine, Domestic Battery, and various Possession Charges.

Matthew Norem pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him, including Dealing in Cocaine or a Narcotic as a Class A felony and Trafficking with an Inmate as a Class C felony. Norem is accused of knowingly possessing at least three grams of heroin in his underwear at the Starke County Jail when he was arrested in December.

Continue reading

Starke County Man Sentenced To 13 Years in DOC

A Starke County man was sentenced to 13 years in the Department of Corrections for manufacturing methamphetamine at the Super Value Inn in Knox. According to the criminal information filed in the court, Lolus Johnson was charged with Theft and Possession of a Controlled Substance as Class D felonies and Possession of Marijuana as a Class A misdemeanor on March 30 after he stole shoes from Dollar General and was arrested. Police then found oxycodone, a controlled substance, on his person along with marijuana.

Continue reading

Balchunas Found Not Guilty On All Charges By Jury

Starke County Courthouse

After 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury in the Starke Circuit Court trial against Alan Balchunas of Monterey reached a verdict of not guilty of Domestic Battery and Strangulation. Balchunas was accused of choking and beating his ex-wife, Pamela Balchunas, following an argument that led to a physical altercation.

During the course of the trial, Pamela testified that Balchunas had put her into a headlock and beat the left side of her face and head. She said he then put his hands around her throat and started to choke her, so she reached for a baseball bat to fend him off. After hitting him twice in the head, Balchunas stumbled back and she said she then left the home.

Continue reading