By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com

Following a day-and-half of testimony from 10 witnesses and arguments from opposing attorneys, a jury of seven women and five men found 38-year-old Jared Slagle guilty of fourth-degree felony drug possession Wednesday afternoon after two hours and 10 minutes of deliberations.

“Obviously the serious problem facing our county is drug abuse. That’s why these cases are very serious,” Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall said. “We’re very happy the jury reached the correct conclusion. We appreciate their service. I’m very happy that an individual that we believe has been responsible for drugs in our community is being held accountable.”

The jury took the case to deliberations at 1:10 Wednesday afternoon following testimony from four defense witnesses, including Slagle and his son Blake Whitt, and closing arguments from prosecutor Ryan Hoovler and defense attorney Thomas Nicholson.

At approximately 3:20, the jury signaled it had reached a verdict with two rings of the buzzer in the courtroom.

Following the jury foreperson’s reading of the guilty verdict, Nicholson asked for a pre-sentence investigation. But Judge Sean Leuthold chose to sentence Slagle immediately with the jury present.

Hoovler cited the seriousness of the offense and Slagle’s previous felony conviction in a 2007 case for second-degree felonious assault for which he was sentenced to four years in prison. Hoovler then asked for the maximum 18-month sentence.

Nicholson said on behalf of his client that the charge was possession and not trafficking, noted the number of his family in the area and “hoped for the lightest sentence possible.”

Slagle chose not to say anything prior to sentencing.

Leuthold took note of Slagle’s previous conviction and the seriousness of the offense. The judge added that, in his opinion, Slagle has also not shown any signs of remorse. Leuthold then sentenced Slagle to 17 months in prison with credit for time served. He also appointed Bucyrus attorney Adam Stone to handle Slagle’s potential appeal.

As to the turning point in the case, Hoovler credited, “the defendant’s behavior, the statements that he made in jail, and his behavior when he was at home. And his desire to try to make other witnesses do things for him.”

In addition to testimony from Slagle’s estranged wife Sara, much of the information came from recorded interviews and phone conversations which were a significant portion of the evidence presented to the jury. The jury watched or listened to an interview between police and Jared’s son Blake Whitt, a phone conversation between Sara Slagle and Galion Police Chief Brian Saterfield, two jail conversations between Jared and Sara Slagle, and another conversation from the jail between Jared Slagle and Whitt.

Perhaps the most damaging to the defendant were those recorded conversations between Jared and Sara Slagle that prosecutors interpreted as Jared Slagle admitting to buying and selling cocaine and encouraging Sara Slagle not to talk to police.

The conversation between father and son was also incriminating in that Slagle appeared to tell his son to incriminate Sara Slagle in the purchasing and use of the cocaine found in the house.

Whitt did so on the stand, however his testimony was also marked by not answering certain questions using his 5th amendment right to avoid self-incrimination.

While the exchange on cross between Whitt and assistant prosecutor Rob Kidd was openly antagonistic, the cross examination between Slagle and Hoovler was even more so. As his son had previously testified, Slagle portrayed Sara Slagle as the one who had a cocaine addiction and claimed she set him up. Hoovler repeatedly accused Slagle of self-serving testimony and being untruthful on the stand.

Sitting beside Hoovler throughout the case and helping was Kidd, another assistant in the Prosecutor’s Office. Kidd and Hoovler could be seen exchanging a congratulatory handshake following the trial’s conclusion.

“There’s no doubt he was a crucial aid in the trial, a good partner,” Hoovler said of Kidd. “Together we were able to get the truth to the jury.”

The trial was also the first for Leuthold since taking over the bench in Common Pleas Court.