District Court July 28

The Tenth Judicial District Court convened Tuesday, July 28, with Judge Thomas Stockard presiding.

Brandon Alan Evers pleaded guilty to Abuse, Neglect, or Endangerment of a Child, a Gross Misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000.

Evers completed a risk assessment that found him to be at low risk of reoffending.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Priscilla Baker said the case began when a 4-year-old child was found wandering into the street. Law enforcement officers returned the child home, where it took multiple knocks on the door and looking through a window before they were able to wake Evers. Baker said Evers believed the child's mother was still home. Officers found the residence in disarray, and Evers had a blood alcohol concentration of .197.

Churchill County Deputy Public Defender Kenneth Tedford III said his client has already begun addressing his alcoholism. Tedford said Evers has moved to Oregon, where he has begun treatment, completed a risk assessment, accepted responsibility for his actions, and is prepared to accept the consequences.

The defense asked the court to impose a $2,000 fine or grant probation.

Judge Stockard fined Evers $750, to be paid at $75 per month, and encouraged him to “Take advantage of this opportunity.”

Shane Michael Krogg appeared for sentencing on Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), a Category E Felony punishable by 1-4 years in prison, to which he pleaded guilty on April 14.

Churchill County Public Defender Jacob Sommer asked the court to defer sentencing and admit Krogg to the Western Nevada Regional Drug Court Program, to which the state had no objection. Sommer said Krogg has worked diligently through the process, recognizes that he needs treatment, and wants it.

Krogg told Judge Stockard, “I'm ashamed. I messed up; I had almost twenty years clean.” He said his relapse began after neck surgery when he was prescribed pain medication. “I didn't say no. It spiraled from there.”

Judge Stockard suspended the sentence and granted Krogg probation with the condition that he enter and complete Drug Court. Stockard also ordered Krogg to obtain a substance abuse evaluation and follow all recommendations. As an additional condition, Krogg must first discuss any prescribed controlled substances with his probation officer and Drug Court before filling the prescription.

Patricia Pearl Coursey, in custody, pleaded guilty in two separate cases.

In the first case, Coursey pleaded guilty to two Category E Felony counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, one involving methamphetamine and the other heroin. Each count carries a potential penalty of 1 – 4 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. In the second case, she pleaded guilty to Failure to Appear After Admission of Bail or Release Without Bail, a Category D Felony, which is also punishable by 1 – 4 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

Churchill County Alternate Public Defender Wright Noel addressed Coursey's custodial status, explaining that she failed to appear approximately four years ago because of financial hardship and now has the resources to travel from California. He asked that she be released on her own recognizance. Coursey told the court she has been employed for the past four years.

SDDA Priscilla Baker opposed release, noting that Coursey had to be extradited from California after failing to appear in 2022. Baker also cited the Court Services report, which indicated Coursey is not currently employed, uses methamphetamine daily, is not a Nevada resident, and has four felony and four misdemeanor arrests.

Judge Stockard denied the request for release on her own recognizance and set bail at $10,000 in the first case and $5,000 in the second. He ordered a Pre-Sentence Investigative Report and set sentencing for Sept. 29.

Rene Lucio Williams, in custody, pleaded guilty to Uttering Forged Instruments, a Category D Felony punishable by one to four years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000

SDDA Baker reminded Judge Stockard that Williams was placed on probation for up to 18 months in February for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Baker noted that Williams served 54 days in jail on a parole violation and was released on May 13. The Division of Parole and Probation attempted to schedule his intake several times, but on June 3 Williams reported he was in the hospital with food poisoning. When probation requested proof, Baker said Williams submitted a forged doctor's note, resulting in the current charge.

According to Baker, the court revoked Williams' probation on July 21. She argued that, based on his criminal history, “he didn't even last a day released before violating his terms and conditions. He refused to even participate with probation.” She then reviewed Williams' criminal history, which includes Domestic Battery, Failure to Appear, Battery Constituting Domestic Violence by Strangulation, Resisting a Public Officer, Criminal Contempt, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Residential Burglary, and other offenses.

In asking the court to impose a sentence of 19 – 48 months in prison, Baker said, “If you are granted the privilege of probation, you need to take it seriously. This defendant did not.”

APD Wright Noel noted that the probation violation had already been addressed the previous week, when Williams was sentenced to 19 – 48 months in prison. Noel argued that the matter before the court was the forgery conviction and asked that Williams receive a sentence of 19 – 36 months, to run concurrent with the previous sentence.

Williams agreed with his attorney. He told the court he understood what he did was illegal, although he did not realize at the time that it was a felony.

Judge Stockard sentenced Williams to 12 to 36 months in prison, to run concurrent with the previously imposed sentence. Williams was remanded back to the custody of the Churchill County Sheriff's Office.

Daniel Alexander Dinwiddie-Porter, in custody, appeared for sentencing on Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), to which he pleaded guilty on April 21.

At the defense's request, the sentencing hearing was continued to Sept. 22.

Clayton Shelby Reynolds's arraignment was continued to August 4.