BUCYRUS — A Mansfield man appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday for a hearing to rule on competency.
Christopher Barber has been charged with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony punishable with up to 11 years in prison, and felonious assault, a second-degree felony punishable by up to eight years in prison.
Barber, 24, is accused of beating an elderly Dudley St. woman in her own home. Barber is one of three defendants in the case.
Court-appointed attorney Brad Starkey asked the court for an independent competency evaluation to be completed on Barber in addition to the district five competency evaluation ordered by Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold.
Leuthold noted that although each evaluation was unique, both evaluations came to the same conclusion — that Barber is competent to stand trial and assist in his own defense. Starkey informed the court that he was considering pursuing a defense of guilty by reason of insanity. Leuthold ordered that a pretrial date be set in the case now that the evaluations are concluded.
In other court action, Preston Shanks, 19, of Bucyrus but formerly of Missouri pleaded guilty to failure to register, a fourth-degree felony punishable with up to 18 months in prison.
Shanks moved to Bucyrus to live with his fiancé. He told the court that he believed he was compliant with his duty to register as a sex offender. In Missouri, an offender must register annually while in Ohio an offender must register every six months with the Sheriff’s department. When Shanks failed to report after living in Crawford County for six months, he was indicted on a felony charge.
Leuthold sentenced Shanks to five years of community control for his failure to report.
“If I have one more problem out of you, you’re going to prison.” Leuthold said.
Clyde Stevens, 47, of Tiro pleaded guilty to violating the terms and conditions of his community control. Stevens was placed on community control in January after he pleaded guilty to possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to 12 months in prison.
According to probation officer Eric Bohach, Stevens admitted to operating a motor vehicle under the influence in Mansfield in March. In June, Stevens changed his address without permission and failed to report for office visits after July.
In a plea agreement, Stevens will spend a flat six months in prison, with credit for jail time served. Leuthold said he would not oppose transitional control if the prison requested it.
Brittany Davis, 32, currently incarcerated at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony punishable with up to 12 months in prison.
As the result of a plea agreement, Davis will spend an additional six month in prison. Her attorney, James Mayer III, told the court his client was serving time on a charge out of Richland County and that Davis has been without any behavior infractions since her incarceration.
“I was guilty, I just didn’t want to admit it,” Davis told the court.
She added that she has availed herself of many programs in prison and works there as a full-time tutor.
“I’m pleased to hear this. I wish you the best of luck,” Leuthold said.
Leuthold told Davis he would not oppose transitional control if the prison requested it.