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William D. Anson, 38, of Orchard appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday, Dec. 1, alongside his attorney, Antelope County public defender Melissa Figueroa. Anson, who was transported to court from a Nebraska Department of Corrections facility in Lincoln, was fined $300 and committed to the Antelope County Jail for a term of six months, with credit given for three days previously served. In addition, Taylor ordered restitution paid to Bomgaars, in the amount of $129.99, and taxed...
Kevin M. Socha, 33, of Elgin faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom Wednesday, Nov. 17, for a pretrial hearing on a count of second-offense driving under the influence of alcohol, .15 grams or more, a Class 1 misdemeanor. A plea agreement with Antelope County prosecutor Joe Abler was announced. Abler amended the charge to second-offense non-aggravated DUI and agreed to recommend a minimum sentence. Socha pleaded guilty to the amended charge. An enhancement hearing was held, with Taylor finding one previous conviction...
The Honorable Donna Taylor cleared three cases from the Antelope County court docket when she presided over the Nov. 17 court session in Neligh, including one dating back to 2014. Joe Wylie, 66, of Cozad, formerly of Ewing, was charged in April 2015 with two felony counts of issuing insufficient-fund or no-account checks (second offense) to Mr. S’s in Oakdale one year earlier. A warrant for Wylie’s arrest, issued in May 2015, was served in Hall County on Nov. 3 of this year. Pursuant to a plea agreement with Antelope County attorney Joe Abl...
Warrants were issued by the Honorable Donna Taylor for two defendants who failed to appear in the Antelope County court last Wednesday, Nov. 17. Angela Flores, of Neligh failed to appear for a bench trial on a City of Neligh junk ordinance violation alleged Aug. 1. Taylor issued a warrant for Flores’ arrest, with a $1,500, 10% bond, after a motion was filed by Joe McNally on behalf of the city. McNally testified Flores had called his office 20 minutes prior to the scheduled trial, indicating she had to work. The attorney alleged he had seen h...
An 18-year-old Oakdale man accused of assaulting an Antelope County road employee Sept. 23, near the Oakdale lagoon, had a felony charge amended to a misdemeanor after the prosecutor reviewed police and medical records. Haiden M. Sleister appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday. A first-degree felony assault charge, alleged Sept. 23 near the Oakdale lagoon was reduced to a Class 1 misdemeanor, third-degree assault. The amended complaint, filed by Antelope County attorney Joe...
Two defendants failed to appear in Antelope County courtroom in Neligh for hearings in criminal cases last Wednesday, Oct. 20. Matthew F. Brandt, 34, of Royal again failed to appear for sentencing. His attorney, public defender Melissa Figueroa, requested continuance, Antelope County prosecutor Joe Abler objected. The Honorable Donna Taylor ordered a warrant be issued for his arrest, as she indicated would happen at the time of his previous no show. Brandt was convicted of leaving the scene of a property-damage accident, a Class 2 misdemeanor...
Justin M. Golter, 46, of Orchard faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Oct. 20 for arraignment on four counts alleged Aug. 20, 2020. Golter is accused of a Class 1D felony, possession of methamphetamine, with intent to deliver (two ounces); a Class 4 felony count, possession of meth; and two Class 4 felony counts of theft by receiving stolen property, $1,500 to $5,000. Golter requested court-appointed counsel. Taylor adjudged him indigent and appointed the public defender’s office to represent him. She f...
Martin R. Siems, 47, of Clearwater was sentenced last week by the Honorable Donna Taylor, in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh, for reckless driving, a Class 3 misdemeanor committed March 20. Taylor fined Siems $500 and sentenced him to a six-month term of probation, including $220 in probation-related fees and taxed him $50 costs of prosecution. Siems pleaded guilty to the reduced count Oct. 6, pursuant to a plea agreement. Antelope County attorney Joe Abler reduced a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, first offense, and...
Matthew F. Brandt, 34, of Royal once again failed to appear in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh for sentencing last Wednesday. Brandt was convicted, June 2, of leaving the scene of a property-damage accident, a Class 2 misdemeanor committed Jan 28 in Orchard. His attorney, public defender Melissa Figueroa, requested continuance, indicating Brandt had been in contact with someone who had Covid-19. Antelope County prosecutor Joe Abler objected. The Honorable Donna Taylor continued sentencing to Oct. 20 and ordered Brandt to provide the...
Jackson L. Anderson Jr., 51, of Omaha faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh, last Wednesday, for sentencing in a 2018 case. He was fined $300 and assessed $52 costs of prosecution for possession of marijuana, less than one ounce, second offense. Anderson pleaded guilty in December 2018 after reaching a plea deal with county attorney Joe Abler, and an open container count was dropped. He failed to appear for sentencing on three occasions in February and March 2019, and a warrant was issued for his arrest....
Haiden M. Sleister, 18, of Oakdale appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday on a first-degree felony assault charge, alleged Sept. 23 near the Oakdale lagoon. Taylor set preliminary hearing for Nov. 3. A bond review hearing was held. Abler did not object to a defense request for reduction. Taylor reduced bond to $50,000, 10% cash. He was remanded to the custody of Antelope County sheriff Robert Moore, pending posting of bond. Sleister is represented by Antelope County public...
An 18-year-old Oakdale man is facing felony charges for the alleged first-degree assault of an Antelope County road worker. Haiden Sleister was arrested Sept. 25, following an investigation into injuries sustained by the county employee Sept. 23 near the Oakdale village lagoon. Sleister, who turned 18 on the day of the alleged assault, was set for arraignment Oct. 6 in the Antelope County courtroom. Bond was set at $100,000, 10% cash by the Honorable Donna Taylor on Sept. 27 and the Antelope County public defender’s office was appointed to r...
The Honorable Donna Taylor signed two arrest warrants recently when she presided over Antelope County court in Neligh. A warrant was issued Wednesday, Sept. 1, for a 63-year-old Orchard man - on new but similar allegations to a case currently set for a jury trial in the county court, involving a different victim. The warrant called for the arrest of Russell L. Meyer on two charges, second-degree trespassing and disturbing the peace. Bond was set at $3,000, 10% cash, with a condition for no contact with the victim, her mother or their...
Wessel J. Pelser, 30, of Bartlett appeared in the Madison County courtroom last week on Antelope County charges. Pelser pleaded guilty to two counts, driving under the influence of alcohol, first offense, a Class W misdemeanor, and speeding, 91 miles per hour in a 65-mph zone, an infraction. The Honorable Donna Taylor sentenced Pelser to 21 days in the Antelope County Jail, with credit for one day previously served; a $500 fine and revoked his driver’s license for one year on the DUI conviction, and a $200 fine for the speeding count, along w...
Casey N. Fulgium, 35, of Conroe, Texas, appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom last Wednesday, Sept. 1, for further arraignment on a Class 1 misdemeanor count of third-degree domestic assault, alleged July 16 in Neligh. He requested court-appointed counsel, telling Taylor, although he had indicated at his first appearance that he would hire his own attorney, he could not afford one because he was paying double rent. Taylor appointed Martin Klein of Neligh and continued arraignment to Oct. 6. Bond,...
Jennifer A. Blevins, 35, of Pierce, who was scheduled for a preliminary hearing on a Class 4 felony count, possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, alleged May 14 north of Oakdale, waived her right to the hearing and was bound over to Antelope County district court by the Honorable Donna Taylor last week. She is set for arraignment in district court Sept. 29. Bond, posted May 15, in the amount of $10,000, 10% cash, was continued. She is represented by Antelope County public defender Melissa Figueroa. A motion for continuance,...
Two individuals appeared in the Antelope County court last Wednesday, Sept. 1, on allegations related to a vehicle stolen in North Dakota. According to a probable-cause affidavit filed by Neligh police chief Michael Wright, he responded to a call reporting a vehicle parked on the east side of the Casey’s General Store in Neligh with the vehicle running and a male who had been standing outside in the rain, hitting his head on the side of the building, then laid on the ground, shaking. According to the affidavit, the female driver initially p...
A Medicaid/SNAP fraud case has been bound over to district court. Tiffany Beckman, 35, of Neligh faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County court in Neligh last Wednesday, Aug. 18, on allegations of obtaining Medicaid assistance by fraud between Nov. 1, 2018, and April 30, 2020, (in an aggregate in excess of $1,500) and obtaining Nebraska Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by fraud between Nov. 1, 2018, and Aug. 31, 2020, (in an aggregate in excess of $1,500). The charges were filed by Antelope County attorney Joe...
George M. Kelly, 28, of Topeka, Kansas, appeared before the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom, Aug. 18, on two counts of violating requirements of the Sex Offender Registration Act, alleged March 15 and April 1. Preliminary hearing on the Class 3A felony charges is set Sept. 1. If convicted, he faces potential sentences up to $10,000 fine and/or up to three years imprisonment, with up to 18 months post-release supervision, on each count. Taylor, noting his effort to appear in court, set bond at $5,000, personal...
Four individuals, who were charged with selling alcohol or tobacco to a 16-year-old female informant during July 20-22 compliance checks by the Nebraska State Patrol, waived their rights to counsel, pleaded guilty and were each fined $500 and taxed $50 costs by the Honorable Donna Taylor last week. Taylor said there is “an underground network” among underage individuals looking to buy alcohol and tobacco. County attorney Joe Abler showed Taylor a copy of the informant’s identification card, which both said has the date in “large red letters...
The Honorable Donna Taylor allowed several defendants continuances when she presided from the bench in the Antelope County courtroom last Wednesday, Aug. 18. Matthew F. Brandt, 34, of Royal appeared for sentencing on a conviction of leaving the scene of a property-damage accident, a Class 2 misdemeanor committed Jan 28 in Orchard. A continuance was requested to determine the amount of restitution. Antelope County prosecutor Joe Abler said the insurance deductible is $1,000. Taylor reviewed results of a substance abuse evaluation with Brandt,...
Debra F. Jordan, 54 of Norfolk faced the Honorable Donna Taylor last Wednesday for a preliminary hearing on a felony burglary charge. Court was delayed about 15 minutes, awaiting Jordan’s transport to the courtroom from the county jail. Tilden police chief Robert Peterson was called to the witness stand by Antelope County prosecutor Joe Abler and was asked to review his investigation of July 14 crimes alleged at Jordan’s place of employment, JB Mart in Tilden. A Nebraska State Patrol investigator, Brad Higgins, had been present in the courtroom...
Tiffany Beckman, 35, of Neligh faced the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County court in Neligh last Wednesday, Aug. 4, on allegations of obtaining Medicaid assistance by fraud between Nov. 1, 2018, and April 30, 2020, (in an aggregate in excess of $1,500) and obtaining Nebraska Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by fraud between Nov. 1, 2018, and Aug. 31, 2020, (in an aggregate in excess of $1,500). The charges were filed by Antelope County attorney Joe Abler last month. Both charges are Class 4 felonies. Each carries a...
The Honorable Donna Taylor heard the following misdemeanor cases when she presided from the bench in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh last Wednesday, Aug. 4. James A. Kreizel, 37, of Creighton appeared for arraignment on a count of driving under suspension/before reinstated, a Class 3 misdemeanor committed July 6 near the intersection of highways 13 and 20. Kreizel waived his right to counsel and entered a guilty plea. Taylor set sentencing Oct. 6. Callie J. Kraft received continuance of her arraignment on five counts, Count I, driving...
The Honorable Donna Taylor handled arraignment procedures for 15 defendants when she presided from the bench in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on July 21, for the only county court session held during the month. Anthony Williams, 29, of Wayne appeared to be arraigned on two counts. Charges filed by Antelope County prosecutor Joe Abler on July 14 included obstructing government operations, a Class 1 misdemeanor, and disturbing the peace, a Class 3 misdemeanor, both alleged June 27 in...