Dexter Daily Statesman: Local News: Four sentenced on Law Day (02/04/10)

Wednesday's Law Day was shorter than normal with several cases making their way through the court system.

Four individuals were sentenced to prison

Among those cases:

* Brandon Billingsley, charged with violating the terms and conditions of his probation, appeared and admitted the violations. After review of the probation violation report he was sentenced to serve five years in prison.

* Dustin Greer, charged with violating the terms and conditions of his probation, appeared and admitted the violations. After review of the probation violation report and argument of counsel he was sentenced to serve five years in prison.

* Harold Hill, charged with the Class D felony of driving while intoxicated, appeared for arraignment and entered a plea of guilty. Hill waived his pre-sentence investigation and was sentenced to four years in prison.

* Christopher Lloyd, charged with violating the terms and conditions of his probation, appeared and admitted the violations. After review of the probation violation report and argument of counsel he was sentenced to serve five years in prison.

Several other cases followed by The Daily Statesman also made appearances.

* Ruben "Don" Prunty of Dexter appeared and waived formal arraignment. He then requested a change of judge to Judge Joe Z. Satterfield which was granted by the court.

He is slated to appear next at 9 a.m. on March 4.

Prunty was originally charged with the Class B felony of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, the Class C felony of possession of a controlled substance and the Class A misdemeanor of possession of drug paraphernalia.

* Jeremy Schmidt, charged with the Class C felony of tampering in the first degree, appeared for arraignment and entered a plea of guilty. Imposition of sentence was suspended and Schmidt was placed on supervised probation for a term of five years with special conditions relative to payment of restitution and no contact with the victims. Schmidt, along with Matt Diresto, are charged in connection with the January vandalism where swastikas were painted on a church van and a local lumber company.

Diresto was also slated to appear on the Class D felony of property damage in the first degree. He appeared for arraignment and pled not guilty. At the request of his attorney the case was continued to Feb. 17 for plea or trial setting.