Leanna Lehman
New River Township Justice Court in Fallon convened Tuesday, Apr. 10, with Judge Benjamin Trotter presiding.
In Custody Appearances
Laura Hill appeared via Zoom from the Churchill County Jail for arraignment on one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, after her arrest on April 9. She pleaded not guilty and asked to represent herself due to limited income. Deputy DA Priscilla Baker confirmed the state would not seek jail time, and the court declined to appoint counsel. Hill was released on her Own Recognizance and ordered to appear for a bench trial on May 27 at 1:30 p.m. Judge Trotter advised her to request discovery from the District Attorney’s Office.
Autumn Castleberry appeared in a 2022 case for failing to pay Basham Furniture $909.66 in restitution. The restitution was ordered on April 27, 2023, following an insufficient funds conviction, but no payment had been made.
Castleberry acknowledged forgetting about the obligation and apologized, stating she intended to pay once released. Judge Trotter found her in civil contempt and sentenced her to 25 days in jail, suspended in full on the condition the restitution be paid in full within six months. The court set a six-month reminder to review the case.
Additionally, Castleberry was arrested and taken into custody last week on charges of Embezzlement of more than $100,000, a Category B felony punishable by 1–10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000 or twice the value of the property embezzled.
Mekyel Tybo failed to appear. According to Charles Woodman, Esq, defense counsel for Tybo, he tested positive for methamphetamine and was in jail “disassembling a cell,” rendering him unavailable. Judge Trotter found good cause to continue the matter to April 24. Senior Deputy District Attorney Chelsea Sanford confirmed it was her case and supported the court’s ruling.
Dale Keller appeared in custody for failure to comply with sentencing requirements following a prior domestic battery conviction. Keller had not completed 26 sessions of counseling, 48 hours of community service, paid $340 in fines, or submitted his firearms prohibition acknowledgment form. He admitted noncompliance and attributed it to being unhoused and unaware of the requirements. Judge Trotter found Keller in civil contempt and sentenced him to 25 days in jail, suspending 22 days for one year on the condition that he complete all sentencing requirements within eight months. Keller was credited with five days served—two toward fines and three toward the suspended time—and ordered to return for a status hearing on April 24 at 8:30 a.m. He was released from custody following the hearing.
Taylor Heaney appeared in custody after failing to appear for his March 24 bench trial in Case 24CR00522. Heaney stated he had missed court while resolving issues with his birth certificate. He changed his plea to guilty on one count of petty larceny stemming from the November 27 theft of a red purse belonging to Wendy Heaney. Judge Trotter accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for April 24 at 8:30 a.m. to allow time for victim notification. Heaney was released on his own recognizance with the condition that he appear as ordered. The court reserved a decision on the failure to appear charge, which may be dismissed if Heaney complies.
Charles Freer appeared in custody for a status hearing in Case 25CR00129. The hearing was held to confirm the scheduling of a substance abuse evaluation, which is set for April 14 at the jail.
Deputy District Attorney Priscilla Baker requested sentencing be scheduled for the following week to allow time for the evaluation report to be completed. Judge Trotter tentatively set sentencing for Thursday, April 24, with the option to move it up if the report is received sooner. Freer did not object.
Once sentencing is complete, extradition proceedings related to an out-of-state matter may proceed.
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