By Kathy Laird
Martin Nolen, 26, of Bucyrus appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court for a status hearing. Nolen is accused of rape, a first-degree felony, punishable with up to 25 years in prison.
The court commissioned a District IV Competency Evaluation which was completed. The evaluation found Nolen competent to stand trial.
Nolen’s attorney, Adam Stone, requested $2,500 to pay for another competency evaluation for the defense. The motion was granted.
In an effort to keep the case on track to trial, Judge Sean Leuthold brought all parties into the hearing to update the court on record. Stone said that he has ordered the evaluation, but it has not yet been completed. Leuthold added a stipulation that the test must be completed within 30 days of the motion to continue the case.
Noting that there were many motions to be decided in the case, Leuthold said he would not hold those hearings until competency is established.
“The next time we have a hearing, it’s going to be to determine competency,” Leuthold said.
Stone is to contact the court at soon as the evaluation is completed to set a competency hearing date.
In other court proceedings, Markie Ann Page, 25, of Galion was taken into custody and her bond was revoked. Page faces a third-degree felony charge for child endangering and faces up to 36 months in prison.
Page tested positive for oxycodone when she appeared for her final pretrial. Page tried to convince the court that it was a false positive as a result of a medication she takes. Two drug screens were performed with the same result.
Leuthold did some research on his own and he wasn’t buying her story.
“This is a common excuse for a positive drug screen,” Leuthold said.
Page was incarcerated the Crawford County Justice Center without bond.
Michael White, 28, of Bucyrus was given the opportunity to complete the Prosecutor’s Intervention In Lieu of Conviction program, but lost that ability due to what Leuthold called “a totally irresponsible attitude.”
White violated the terms and conditions of the program when he failed report a new address, report to his diversion officer, make restitution to his victim and pay the $600 cost of the diversion program.
Since White was not prison eligible, Leuthold placed him on a community control program for five years. Leuthold ordered White to pay restitution to Shell Oil Co. in the amount of $1,206, and $600 for the program fee to the prosecutor’s office.
“Mr. White, you were given a great opportunity and you blew it. Now I’m going to take control of your life and you are going to get this paid,” Leuthold said. “You went from an easy way out to prison eligible. You do not want me in your life this way, because I can assure you, I’ll do a better job at it than you have. Stop being an irresponsible idiot.”