By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Scott Gantzler hovered on the edge of changing his plea or having a trial the next day when he appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Monday afternoon. Shortly before he was to appear for his change of plea, Gantzler, 47, of Crestline, made the sudden decision to fire his court-appointed attorney, Timothy O’Leary.
Judge Russell Wiseman informed Gantzler that if he chose to dismiss his lawyer they would have to move forward with his trial, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, and, Wiseman shrewdly stated, it was highly unlikely that any lawyer would be prepared for it. The Common Pleas Court judge then recessed the case in order for O’Leary to counsel his client.
Gantzler returned to court over a half hour later and pleaded guilty to a felony five drug possession charge. He admitted to possessing cocaine on Feb. 17.
Gantzler was placed on community control for three years with the special condition that he serves six months in the county jail sometime during that period. His license was suspended for six months and he must pay a mandatory $1,250 drug fine.
Jarell Walker, 24, of Bucyrus, had made a motion for a bond reduction but in light of significant evidence, he chose instead to move forward with trial. Walker is facing a first degree felony aggravated burglary charge.
Walker’s attorney Brad Starkey said, due to “significant evidence that has come from the Bucyrus Police Department,” his client wanted to withdraw his motion for a personal recognizance bond and move forward with his jury trial.
Assistant prosecuting attorney Ryan Hoovler noted that the new information included taped statements and pictures made at the time of the investigation. He said he received the full police report on Aug. 29, which included four additional pages at the end of the report.
Walker’s case is scheduled for trial on Thursday.
The wheels of justice turned quickly for Jimmy Potter. He had been arraigned in Common Pleas Court Monday morning and by that afternoon he was given intervention in lieu of conviction. Potter entered a guilty plea to possessing heroin on Aug. 15. That plea will be held until he successfully completes his intervention.
Ryan Staton, 29, of Bucyrus, appeared in Common Pleas Court for a hearing on attorney. According to Staton, his attorney Andrew Motter recommended that he plead out on his felony two burglary case for a two-year prison sentence. Staton, however, didn’t like that option. He said he would rather take the case to trial, especially, he said, with an attorney who would represent him in the right way and one who didn’t have the kind of reputation Staton said he had been hearing about from other inmates.
“I don’t know what else I can do other than sit in the cell block and hold his hand,” Motter told Judge Wiseman.
Wiseman took the situation under advisement and appointed attorney Adam Stone to Staton. Staton had requested Stone be his new attorney.
“I’m not doing it for you,” a seemingly fed-up Wiseman told Staton, “I’m doing it for Mr. Motter; he’s got better things to do with his time.”
Staton’s trial is scheduled for Oct. 29.
Michael Edward Meade, 24, of Bucyrus, appeared for numerous community control violations. Meade had been placed on community control on January 16 after pleading guilty to drug possession and having his intervention revoked. On Sept. 10 he tested positive for marijuana, opiates, and Oxycodone. Attorney Adam Stone, who had represented Meade on his previous cases, had been appointed as Meade’s counsel. Bond was set at $75,000.
Alan Dyer, 24, also appeared in court for community control violations. Dyer had served time for a felony two robbery charge and had been placed on community control on Jan. 19, 2011. On Sept. 6 he had tested positive for marijuana, opiates and cocaine. Wiseman appointed attorney Andrew Motter to Dyer and set his bond at $50,000.
Donna Stall was arraigned in court Monday on a felony three drug possession charge. Assistant prosecuting attorney Ryan Hoovler said there was a “significant amount of cocaine” involved.
Though Wiseman informed Stall that anything she said in court could be held against her, Stall chose to explain to Wiseman that she hadn’t been home at the time. She believed that a known convicted drug dealer had been in her house after she chose to let a homeless man stay there.
Stall could be facing a maximum prison sentence of 36 months and a $10,000 fine, $5,000 of which would be a mandatory drug fine.