Jury trial in child abuse case scheduled to begin Tuesday
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Jury selection for a 26-year-old man on four counts of abuse of a child is scheduled to begin Tuesday.
Bradley Cole is accused of causing severe bruising on their bodies of a three-year-old and a six-year-old. Two of the charges are alternate counts to the other two, meaning he can only be sentenced on two counts.
Cole was apparently hired to watch the kids by their mother while she was at work. Both she and her sister testified at the preliminary hearing that neither child had bruising prior to them leaving the kids with Cole. The alleged crimes occurring back on August 1, 2013.
He also faces charges of possession of methamphetamine for allegedly having meth on him on August 9, 2013.
The trial is expected to begin with jury selection at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Man formally charged with methamphetamine distribution
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A third person has now been charged in association with police spotting an alleged stolen vehicle back on January 31.
24-year-old Adam Owston is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, 100 grams or more. He’s also charged with interference with law enforcement. This involves the case where two people allegedly fled from what police say was a stolen vehicle.
Police say they spotted Owston leaving the backyard of a residence in the 500 block of North Van Buren. Officers attempted to speak with him because he came from the same direction as a suspect in the stolen vehicle, but he kept walking away. Police say they asked where he lived and refused to answer. He was then detained to see if he was involved with the two in the stolen vehicle. They asked him to put his hands behind his back and he allegedly refused. Two officers then did it for him and as they did, a fixed blade knife fell from his left hand. He was then cuffed, but refused to give his name. They then searched his person and they found a capped syringe in his right front pocket and a baggy in his left front pocket that tested for methamphetamine.
This is the same area where 35-year-old Nichole Moore and 23-year-old Jacob Elzey were found and were arrested on drug charges. Moore is charged with possession of methamphetamine, interference with law enforcement and criminal damage. Elzey is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, distribution of amphetamine, possession of alprazolam with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, personal use drug paraphernalia, interference with law enforcement and criminal damage.
Elzey’s bond remains at $26,500 and Moore’s bond is $10,750. Moore also has another case pending for felony theft.
Suspect in marijuana cultivation case charged in new case
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 30-year-old Hutchinson man who was arrested with his father back on November 23, on marijuana cultivation charges and has another case pending for distribution of marijuana was back in court Monday for the reading of another criminal complaint against him.
Jonathan Ray Payne was arrested by Hutchinson Police back on February 3, for drugs and the state has filed a charge of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and personal use drug paraphernalia.
He along with his father, 51-year-old Johnny Lee Payne are both charged with cultivation of marijuana, conspiracy to cultivate marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to cultivate marijuana and personal use drug paraphernalia. The first count alone could see them each receive nearly seven years in prison. Drug Unit Detectives are alleged to have found 12 marijuana plants at the home in the 1500 block of North Monroe.
Jonathon Payne also has another case pending where he was charged along with a 20-year-old Cole Castle in a distribution of marijuana case that goes back to July 27, 2014. Charges there include distribution of marijuana and conspiracy to distribute marijuana. The state alleges that the two conspired to distribute somewhere between 25 and 450 grams of marijuana. The state says the two arranged to distribute the marijuana using a telephone.
Jonathon Payne is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for a plea hearing in the older cases, so Magistrate Judge Randy McEwen set a hearing on this latest arrest for Wednesday also.