Judge Carter presides over 27 cases during Aug. 23 Ozark County docket

Circuit Judge Craig Carter presided over 27 cases during the Aug. 23 docket in Ozark County. Updates in the cases are listed below:

Pleas, sentencing

Curtis Gray pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of domestic assault (originally filed as a felony and then reduced to a misdemeanor). He was sentenced to 60 days at the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department. He was given credit for time served, which satisfied the sentence. 

Odie R. Belt pleaded guilty to forgery. He was sentenced to 3 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections to substitute information to run concurrently with a Howell County case. 

Sent to prison for violating probation

Curtis Gray, who pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in May 2020, appeared for a probation violation hearing. Ozark County Sheriff Cass Martin and Jasmine Bell testified, online dockets report. “The court finds that the defendant’s probation should be revoked due to not following a good course of conduct.” His original 4-year prison sentence was executed.  

Drug court

Michael Scott Strickland, who pleaded guilty to burglary by Alford plea in May 2018, appeared for a probation violation hearing. He is scheduled to be screened for drug court. 

Violated pre-trial release bond conditions

Sondra F. Clark, charged with second-degree murder, appeared in court for a plea hearing or trial setting after she received a plea offer Aug. 22. Her case was continued to Sept. 20; however, a report of non-compliance of bond terms was filed Aug. 25, and the court found probable cause that she violated the terms of her bond. A summons was issued for Clark to appear in court at 9 a.m. Sept. 6 for a bond review hearing. 

Shock jail sentence

Brian Dunaway, who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in June 2022, appeared for a probation status hearing. He was positive for amphetamines. He was ordered to complete a 7-day shock jail sentence at the Ozark County Jail. The probation violation hearing was continued to Sept. 6. 

Pre-trial conference held

Aaron Bradley Perry, charged with burglary, child kidnapping, two counts of kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of domestic assault in one case and tampering with a victim in a felony case in another, appeared for a pre-trial conference. A “Frye hearing” which is used to determine the admissibility of an expert’s scientific testimony and other types of evidence, is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 6. 

Jury trials scheduled

William A. Huelsenbeck, charged with statutory rape of a person younger than 14, had a jury trial set in his case for May 13-15, 2024. A pre-trial conference will be held April 17.

Robert A. Wages, charged with rape, two counts of sodomy, failure to stop a person younger than 21 to drink intoxicating liquor, had a jury trial set in his case for April 11-12, 2024. A pre-trial conference will be held April 3. 

Judgement set aside, re-sentenced

Austin Craig Williams, who pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon (possessing a weapon and a felony-level controlled substance at the same time) in April 2019, appeared for a case review. The docket entry says that a motion to vacate, set aside or correct judgement was filed by his attorney Stacie Renae Calhoun Bilyeu and agreed upon with the prosecutor. 

Williams originally pleaded guilty in October 2019 to the two counts and was given a suspended imposition of sentence (SIS), meaning he did not immediately have to serve the prison term. Instead, he was on supervised probation, and if he violates his probation enough times, the judge could execute the sentence and send him to serve the prison term. If he successfully completed the probation term, the case would not appear on his criminal record. 

In April 2021, he admitted to violating his probation and was sent to prison for a 7 year and 4 year term to run concurrently with the defendant’s unrelated Ashley County, Arkansas, case. 

During last week’s hearing, Williams resubmitted a guilty plea and was sentenced to 7 years in prison on count 1 and 4 years in prison on count 2. All other counts were dismissed. He was given a SES, meaning he does not immediately have to serve the term but could be sent to prison to serve the term if he violates his probation. The SES case will remain on his record. 

Continued to Oct. 4

William T. Chamberlain, charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, was arraigned. A plea hearing or trial setting was scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 4. The cash portion of the pre-trial release conditions was removed. He was released from jail, but a non-compliance report for his bond was filed Aug. 25. 

Continued to Oct. 18

Eric Vandiver, charged with delivery of a controlled substance, appeared with his attorney. He had just left the Missouri Department of Corrections. His plea hearing or trial setting was continued to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 18.

Matthew B. Wollin, charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of domestic assault, two counts of armed criminal action, four counts of abuse or neglect of a child, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, was scheduled to appear for a plea hearing or trial setting. His attorney appeared for him and explained that he is currently serving a term in an unrelated case in the Missouri Department of Corrections. 

Continued to Sept. 20

Tony L. Johnson, charged with trafficking drugs and five counts of unlawful use of a weapon (possessing a weapon and a felony-level controlled substance), appeared for a plea hearing or trial setting. He received a plea offer that day. The case was continued to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. 

Sondra Clark, charged with failure to register as a sex offender, appeared for a plea hearing or trial setting. She received a plea offer the day before. The case was continued to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. 

Lawrence R. Pierce, charged with possession of a controlled substance, was arraigned. A plea hearing or trial setting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. 

Newt Souder, charged with trespass in one case and resisting/interfering with an arrest for a felony in another case, was arraigned. A plea hearing or trial setting was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. 

Mary F. Polen, charged with possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia (amphetamine or methamphetamine) and keeping or maintaining a nuisance, was arraigned. She is scheduled to return to court for a plea hearing or trial setting at 1:30 pm. Sept. 20.

Michael S. Merriman, charged with possession of a controlled substance, was arraigned. He is scheduled to return to court for a plea hearing or trial setting at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. 

Carrie A. Laird, charged with possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, was arraigned. She is scheduled to return to court for a plea hearing or trial setting at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. 

Linda Ann Schwalm, charged with possession of a controlled substance, keeping or maintaining a public nuisance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia (with a prior drug offense), was arraigned. The cash portion of her pre-trial release conditions were removed. A plea hearing or trial setting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 20. 

Continued to Nov. 8

Sandra Coons, charged with assault and abuse of an elderly, disabled or vulnerable person, appeared with her attorney. Her plea hearing or trial setting was continued to 9 a.m. Nov. 8. 

Cases on docket with no public viewable updates

Defendants Tanner W. Jennings, Jay D. Clark.