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Firth man pleads innocent |
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Tuesday, 21 October 2008 |
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By Emily Hone
BLACKFOOT — Firth bar owner Donald Grantley Collet, 46, entered pleas of innocent before 7th District Judge Darren B. Simpson Monday to felony charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver.
His jury trial was scheduled for Jan. 20 and his pretrial conference for Jan. 5. He was continued free on $25,000 bond.
Simpson told Collet he could continue to work at the Collets Bar in the interim so long as he checked in with the pretrial coordinator for alcohol and drug testing.
Collet was arrested Aug. 15 when sheriff’s deputies raided the bar following reports of drug dealing.
According to information from a news conference at the time, he was booked into jail on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture and deliver after officers found about 12 ounces of marijuana at the bar.
They said the marijuana, with an estimated value of $4,800, was packaged and ready to sell, and they also found a very small amount of methamphetamine.
In other court business on Monday, Chase Dalton Gillespie, 18, pleaded innocent to possession of sexually exploitive materials involving juveniles. His jury trial was scheduled for Jan. 20 and his pretrial conference for Jan. 5, and he was continued free on his own recognizance.
Jared D. Briggs, 31, appeared with temporary substitute counsel and pleaded innocent to felony charges of grand theft and grand theft by receiving stolen property.
Prosecutor Scott Andrew told the court Briggs waived his preliminary hearing on the charges because a plea agreement had been arrived at, but his appointed public defender Cindy Campbell could not be present Monday.
Simpson scheduled a change of plea hearing for Nov. 3, and remanded Briggs to the custody of the Bingham County Sheriff in lieu of bail.
Luke William Basso, 36, pleaded innocent to felony driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. His jury trial was scheduled for Dec. 16 and his pretrial conference for Dec. 1. He was continued free on bail and allowed to travel to his job in Wyoming.
Joshua Merle Collet, 20, had a sentence of 1 year fixed and 3 years indeterminate reimposed after admitting he violated the probation he was given in 2007 for burglary by smoking marijuana, failure to maintain employment and failure to be at the place he was supposed to be living.
Collet’s lawyer, Justin Oleson, asked the court for leniency for his client due to his young age, saying he still has time to turn his life around.
Andrew said he thought Collet would benefit from a retained jurisdiction where he could receive evaluation and could be returned to probation if the Department of Corrections recommends it.
Simpson retained jurisdiction for 120 days, which Collet will serve at the North Idaho Corrections Center at Cottonwood.
William Leroy Faulkner, 23, was sentenced to prison for 3 years fixed and 3 years indeterminate and fined $800 on a felony charge of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which he pleaded guilty to in exchange for dismissal of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.
Although he wondered how Faulkner would serve a probation now when he had been unsuccessful in previous attempts Simpson followed the recommendation of the presentence investigator and retained jurisdiction over Faulkner for 120 days, which he will serve at Cottonwood while being evaluated for probation.
The judge told Faulkner if he performs well during the 120 days, he will have the chance of going to Drug Court or entering the Four Feathers rehab program.
Faulkner’s public defender, Manuel Murdoch, told the court most of his client’s offenses occurred when he was a teenager, and that he now has a desire to change and turn his life around.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 22 October 2008 )
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