Two men sent to prison during July 6 Law Day

Circuit Judge Craig Carter processed five civil cases and 23 criminal cases during the July 6 session of Ozark County Law Day. Updates on the criminal cases are listed here:

Guilty plea, sentencing

Newt A. Souder pleaded guilty to delivery or possession of a controlled substance at a county jail and was sentenced to 3 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. 

Alvin Searcy pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 3 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Pursuant to the plea agreement, his other charges were dismissed. 

Jury trial rescheduled

Dustin W. Hudspeth, charged with two counts of domestic assault, armed criminal action and abuse of an elderly person, appeared for a pre-trial conference. His trial was rescheduled to 9 a.m. Aug. 29-30. Another pre-trial hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. July 20. 

Jeremiah D. Kowerduck, charged with statutory sodomy of a victim under 12 and child molestation, had a jury trial scheduled for Dec. 12-14. A pre-trial conference will be held Nov. 23. The prosecutor withdrew his formerly offered plea bargain. 

Pre-trial conference held

Patricia L. Hobbs, (see additional case below) charged with driving while intoxicated causing the death of another person, appeared in court for a pre-trial conference. Another pre-trial conference was scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 3. Her jury trial is set for Aug. 11-12 in Ozark County. 

Shock jail sentence for probation violation

Brittany N. Davis, who pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in Dec. 2021, appeared for a probation conditions review hearing. Davis was ordered to complete a 7-day shock jail sentence and continue on probation. 

Probation violator ordered to complete drug court

Katherine J. Brotherton, who pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in Nov. 2021, appeared for a probation violation hearing. She was given the additional condition of probation of completing the 44th Judicial Circuit’s drug court, a drug treatment program.

Albert Lee Stanford, who pleaded guilty to assault by operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing an injury in Dec. 2017, appeared for a probation violation hearing. He appeared in custody of the sheriff’s department. He had a $4,000 cash-only bond set in the case. 

Scheduled or continued to July 20

Samantha Rodak-Triboulet, who pleaded guilty to burglary and stealing $750 or more in January 2019, appeared for a probation violation hearing. The Missouri State Public Defender’s office denied her application, but the judge found that her due process rights were imperiled and appointed the public defender to represent her. The probation violation hearing was continued to 1:30 p.m. July 20. 

Summer Dawn Stephens appeared in two cases. In the first case, she pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance in Dec. 2019, and a second case she also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance in Dec. 2019. She had been held in jail since June 22 due to a urinalysis result testing positive for an illegal substance. She was released from custody with supervision by Court Probationary Services until her next court appearance, at 1:30 p.m. July 20. 

Levi C. Hambelton, charged with domestic assault, appeared for a plea hearing or trial setting. It was continued to 1:30 p.m. July 20.

Rhonda Sprague, charged with three counts of assault, three counts of armed criminal action, discharging a firearm at a person (persistent offender) and unlawful use of a weapon (possessing a loaded weapon while intoxicated), appeared for a hearing. A motion hearing to take up pending motions before the court will be held at 1:30 p.m. July 20. 

Timothy James Frye, charged with unlawful use of a weapon (exhibiting) and resisting/interfering with an arrest for a felony, appeared for a plea hearing or trial setting. He told the court he has hired defense attorney Ben Campbell. The hearing was continued to 1:30 p.m. July 20. 

Scheduled or continued to Aug. 3

Patricia Hobbs, (see additional case above) charged with possession of a controlled substance, appeared for a criminal setting. It was continued to Aug. 3. 

Betty Ousley, charged with drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance, four counts of unlawful use of a weapon (possessing it and a felony controlled substance at the same time), keeping or maintaining a public nuisance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, appeared for a plea hearing or trial setting. It was continued to 9 a.m. Aug. 3. 

Blake Dalton White, charged with rape, two counts of statutory rape of a person younger than 14 and statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy (deviate sexual intercourse) with a person younger than 14, appeared for a plea hearing or trial setting. It was continued to 9 a.m. Aug. 3. 

Michael S. Szabo, charged with delivery of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon (possessing a weapon and a felony-level controlled substance), was arraigned. A plea hearing or trial setting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 3. 

Sarah Adams, charged with domestic assault (serious physical injury), abuse of a child (serious physical or emotional injury), three counts of abuse or neglect of a child (serious emotional or physical injury), unlawful use of a weapon (exhibiting), endangering the welfare of a child (creating a substantial risk), domestic assault, kidnapping, appeared for a plea hearing or trial setting. It was continued to 9 a.m. Aug. 3. 

Scheduled or continued to Sept. 7

Patrick K. Lee, charged with burglary, domestic assault and robbery, appeared for a plea hearing or trial setting. It was continued to 9 a.m. Sept. 7.