By Kathy Laird
CCN Correspondent
Devin Lutz, 25, of Bucyrus appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday to reject a plea deal.
Lutz, who is facing one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and one count of theft which in this case allegedly is a gun belonging to his Grandmother, appeared in court with attorney James Mayer of Mansfield.
Lutz faces 36 months in prison for the theft charge and 18 months in prison on the unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Lutz also would have to register as a sex offender if convicted.
Judge Sean Leuthold read the plea into the record.
The prosecution was willing to lower the unlawful sexual conduct with a minor to a first-degree misdemeanor and attach a 75-day sentence in jail and place Lutz on five years of community control with an additional 65 days in jail.
When Leuthold asked Lutz if he wanted to formerly reject the plea offered, Lutz confirmed that he wanted a jury trial.
“You have every constitutional right to a trial and I will protect your rights during that proceeding,” Leuthold said. “But you must understand that the state is now withdrawing this offer, do you understand?”
Lutz confirmed he understood. The matter is set for trial next week.
In other court proceedings, Jesse Sanger, 36, of Sycamore will spend the next 36 months in prison after he pleaded guilty on a charge of failure to comply.
Sanger was signaled to pull over for an initial traffic stop on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle under the influence. Police were at the vehicle when Sanger decided to hit the gas.
An officer in front of the vehicle had evade it as Sanger tried to speed away. Sanger did not get far and drove into a snow bank.
When asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, Sanger told the court that he had no memory of the events and that he had a mark on his left arm that looked like he been tasered.
“You were in a blackout drunk. Very seldom good things happen in those situations,” Leuthold said. “Quite frankly, I’m not surprised if you were tasered behaving that way.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Sanger received a five-year suspension of his driving privileges.