District Court convened Tuesday, August 4th, 2020, via conference call and open court, with Judge Tom Stockard presiding.
Paul Jacob Graham appeared via closed-circuit video from the Churchill County Jail for arraignment. Graham was represented by retained counsel, Jesse Kalter, Esq. Graham allegedly committed the following:
1) Felony kidnapping in the second degree which carries a prison term of 2-15 years,
2) Felony coercion constituting domestic violence (1-6 years)
3) Felony preventing or dissuading victim or witness giving evidence, (1-4 years),
4) Felony battery that constitutes substantial bodily harm (2-15 years)
5) A gross misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment that constitutes domestic violence (up to 364 days in the county jail).
Counts 2, 4, and 5 require a mandatory prison term by Nevada statute if Graham is convicted. Graham, who is currently out on bond, waived his right to a speedy trial and entered a not guilty plea on each of the five counts. A jury trial was scheduled for February 8th, 2021.
At the request of Jeffery Weed, Assistant District Attorney handling the case, Judge Stockard initiated an order restricting contact between the defendant and alleged victim. Additionally, Graham must submit to random drug and alcohol tests. He is currently facing an alleged DUI 1st offense charge in Carson City.
Jordan Albert Mauwee was arraigned on two counts of battery by a prisoner in lawful custody, a category B felony, which carries a potential penalty of 1-6 years in prison. According to defense counsel, Jacob Sommer Esq., Mauwee, “did use force or violence on another individual while he was in custody at Churchill County Detention Center.” Within a minute of the first event, an identical event occurred making it, by statute, another charge under Nevada Revised Statute. Mauwee plead guilty on both counts.
Lane Mills, Chief Deputy District Attorney for the State, has agreed to a plea memorandum allowing the sentences to run concurrently if Mauwee is convicted. Mauwee will remain in custody until he appears for sentencing on 9/1/20 unless he can bail on the previously established bond of $30,000.
Terry Ross Jones appeared for sentencing on felony DUI charges. Jones was represented by Jacob Sommer, Esq. Sommer addressed the court stating that Jones had been sober for several years and knows that this was a terrible decision. “He has taken an attitude and a position of responsibility for his actions and accepts the penalties.” Jones made a statement to the court admitting, “I made the stupidest mistake of my life. I was helping some friends out and didn’t call for a ride like I usually do. I thought I could make it home. I’m sorry.” With a previous felony DUI conviction, Jones received a sentence of 24-72 months in prison and a $2,000 fine.
Wendell Reiger appeared for sentencing after several months of delays on theft charges from December of 2018. According to ADA, Assistant District Attorney, Chelsea Sanford, Reiger unlawfully stole items from Bealls, a local department store, on December 2, 2018.
“The defendant grabbed a cart and ran out the front door,” stated Sanford, “his truck was outside, ready, and in position.” Sanford argued for a maximum term of 2-6 years in prison based on several aggravating factors and behaviors, including planning, skill, methodology, and the fact that there were co-conspirators.
Sanford reported that at one-point Reiger stated that the crime was not a felony because the items were on sale. “Thieves are not entitled to sale prices,” stated the ADA. The value of the items including the shopping cart totaled $1,363, making the theft meet felony standards. According to Sanford, Reiger’s extensive criminal history includes a total of four prison terms on 10 felony charges, one of which was robbery with a deadly weapon, multiple parole revocations, and he tested positive for methamphetamines on more than one occasion while out of custody.
Steve Evensen, Esq., retained by Reiger, argued against Sanford’s assertions. “There is no evidence that this was planned and it’s insulting to the court to state that this was some kind of sophisticated criminal enterprise,” stated Evensen. “There is no question of his guilt – he plead guilty. My client is 43 years old and I look at his record and his first offense was in 1994. There has been no treatment addressing addiction.” Evensen also noted the recent changes in Nevada statutes that classify the crime as a category B felony that requires 2-6 years for what would have recently been considered a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail, and restitution.
“It’s no secret that when he is straight, he’s a good worker and good provider. The sentence the state is asking for will do absolutely nothing other than fulfill the state’s requirement to punish him,” argued Evensen. “He is asking for supervision and treatment.”
Judge Stockard provided a point of clarification stating that “I will not sentence based on arguments, rather on the guilty plea – but I will consider his criminal history.”
Reiger, at the urging of his attorney, read a letter of apology to the court stating, “I want to apologize, it wasn’t planned, but it did happen, and I am sorry. I offer my sincerest apologies for my behavior. No one is more disturbed or disgusted by my past than I am. I feel like my past is an issue more than the case itself. I had $700 in my pocket - I didn’t need to steal anything. I made a huge mistake. I need help your honor.”
Judge Stockard sentenced Reiger to a suspended sentence of 28-72 months, with the provisions that he enters Wester Regional Drug Court. Reiger was sentenced to 28-72 months in prison, suspended.
Comment
Comments