By Kathy Laird
CCN Correspondent
BUCYRUS — Two defendants, both represented by Bucyrus attorney Adam Stone, appeared in Crawford County Common Pleas Court on Friday for competency hearings.
Martin Nolen, 26, of Bucyrus was found competent to stand trial while accused of a first-degree felony charge for rape.
Nolen is accused of raping a juvenile.
Judge Sean Leuthold said two separate evaluations, one completed by the District Five Diagnostic Center and another psychological evaluation prepared by Dr. John Matthew Fabian, a forensic psychologist netted similar conclusions.
Leuthold ordered a pretrial be set as soon as possible.
“This case has had some delays and we need to move forward with it,” Leuthold said.
In a separate case, Adam Gunter, 39, of Galion also is accused a first-degree felony charge for rape. His case also involves a minor and Gunter also was deemed competent to stand trial.
Leuthold found Gunter competent base on a District Five Diagnostic Center Psychological Evaluation and an additional evaluation performed by Dr. Fabian. Both evaluations netted the same conclusions about Gunter’s competency.
Stone told the court that while they did not oppose the declaration of competency, he wanted the right to address the issue of his client’s IQ during trial. Leuthold granted that request.
In other court proceedings, Amanda Callahan, 26, of Bucyrus was charged with violating the terms and conditions of her community control. According to probation officer Dan Wurm, on June 18, Callahan tested positive for methamphetamines and THC. Subsequently, her newborn child was tested and tested positive for the substances as well.
Attorney Joel Spitzer was appointed to represent Callahan. Prosecutor Matt Crall asked Leuthold to set bond at $100,000 because a child now is affected by Callahan’s drug abuse. Leuthold agreed and set bond at $100,000. The infant is currently in the care of a relative.
Kassandra Miller, 25, appeared in court for a hearing for judicial release. Miller has spent the past year in prison.
She originally was sentenced to 30 months in prison on charges including possession of drugs, assault on a peace officer, harassment with a bodily substance and resisting arrest. During the process of judicial release an additional charge of possession of drugs was discovered.
Her attorney Charles Robinson of Franklin County worked with prosecutors to arrange a plea to the recently discovered charge. In exchange for a guilty plea to the now old charges, the state agreed to place Miller on an additional five years of community control and still allow her release from prison.
A visibly relieved Miller got a stern warning from Leuthold.
“I see the sense of relief on your face and I believe you have no plans on returning to prison, but shockingly, more than half of the people I grant judicial release head back to prison and about 25 percent within the first thirty days. You are not going back to your boyfriend who is a felon, you’re not going to have any associations with any felons. There will be no booze, no bars and no drugs. Mr. Wurm is going to watch you carefully and if you mess this up, test positive or associate with felons, I’ll send you back to prison.”
When asked where Miller would live, her attorney said that Miller would reside with her mother in Franklin County. Robinson noted that Miller’s mother wanted to get her away from the environment where she became hooked on heroin.
“It’s fine for her to live in Franklin County, but she will answer to me,” Leuthold said. “Community control is different in Crawford County. If you get into trouble in Columbus, guess what, you come back here to me. I am very strict; no exceptions. You don’t get away from me.”