Judge sends three probation violators to jail and two others to treatment

Circuit Judge Craig Carter processed 33 criminal and 12 civil cases during the Nov. 8 session of Ozark County Law Day. Updates in the criminal cases are listed here:

Plea and sentencing

Sondra Clark, (see story above) who had previously pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child in October, appeared with her attorney for a sentencing hearing pursuant to a plea agreement with the state. She was given a 7-year suspended execution of sentence and placed on supervised probation. The online docket says that the prosecutor attempted to contact the victim’s family before extending the plea agreement. The mother was agreeable to the disposition, and the father was unreachable. 

Tony Johnson pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs and unlawful use of a weapon (possessing a weapon and a felony-level controlled substance) and was sentenced to 10 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. The execution of the sentence was suspended, and he was placed on supervised probation for a term of 5 years. He is also ordered to serve 60 days in the county jail at the probation officer’s discretion. 

Shock jail time for probation violation

Toby C. Hudson, who was convicted of receiving stolen property in September 2019, appeared in custody for a probation violation hearing. He was ordered to complete a 7-day shock jail sentence for the violation, and his probation was extended for a year. 

Aaron Lee Davis, who was convicted of burglary in February 2021, appeared. He completed a 7-day shock jail sentence for a probation violation. He was continued on probation with the added condition that he must attend group meetings. 

Carrie A. Laird, who was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in July 2023, appeared for a probation violation hearing. She was ordered to serve a 7-day shock jail sentence. 

Treatment program ordered

Brian Dunaway, who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in June 2022, appeared with his attorney for a probation violation hearing. He was continued on probation with the additional condition of attending and completing a long-term drug treatment program.

Michael Turner, who was convicted of possession of a controlled substance in August 2022, appeared for a probation violation hearing and was continued on probation with the additional condition that he enters and successfully completes the 9-month residential Action Recovery Center program in Gainesville.

Trial scheduled or reset

Patrick K. Lee, charged with burglary, domestic assault and robbery, had his jury trial continued because it was set as a #2 setting on Nov. 29-30 (meaning it would only take place if the #1 setting, Herbert Palmer, see below, was not going to trial). Lee is scheduled to reappear in court at 9 a.m. Dec. 6 to have the jury trial reset on the court’s calendar. 

Herbert Palmer, charged with failure to appear, had a pre-trial conference and Frye hearing held. The defendant knowingly and voluntarily rejected the state’s plea offer. The case is set for a jury trial Nov. 29-30. A second case was also on the docket for Palmer, but updates in that case was not visible to the public through online court system.