Antelope County District Court sees short session

The bulk of the criminal case calendar was cleared in about one-half hour last Wednesday, Nov. 24, by Antelope County district court officials in the Neligh courtroom.

The Honorable Mark Johnson arraigned one defendant on four felony counts and the remaining defendants were granted continuances of their pretrial hearings.

Justin M. Golter, 46, of Orchard, faced Johnson for arraignment on charges alleged Aug. 20, 2020 – Count I, possession of methamphetamine, with intent to deliver (two ounces), a Class 1D felony; Count II, possession of meth, a Class 4 felony and counts III and IV, theft by receiving stolen property, $1,500 to $5,000, Class 4 felonies. Golter pleaded not guilty to all four counts.

Conviction of Count I carries a maximum 50-year prison sentence, with a mandatory minimum of three years, while counts II, III and IV each carry potential sentences of up to two years imprisonment and/or up to $10,000 fines. Pretrial hearing is set Jan. 26, 2022, and a jury trial, March 21. Bond in the amount of $50,000, 10% cash is continued, with conditions set in county court - if he refuses drug test or tests positive, bond will return to the original $100,000, 10%, and he must be at his mother’s residence between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily.

A warrant was issued for Golter’s arrest Aug. 4, on a motion by Antelope County Attorney Joe Abler. He had initially been arrested by a Nebraska State Patrol officer in August 2020, on active felony warrants from Lancaster and Dodge counties. According to a probable-cause affidavit filed by the trooper this past August, a dump-box trailer and a Honda all-terrain vehicle, allegedly towed behind Golter’s pickup at the time of his initial arrest, were confirmed by NSP investigators as stolen in Platte County. During a post-arrest inventory of the pickup, the trooper alleges about two ounces of packaged meth was found, along with cash, a scale and a pipe with meth residue.

He waived his right to a preliminary hearing in the county court Nov. 17. Golter is represented by Antelope County public defender Pat Carney of Norfolk.

Defendants who appeared and were granted continuances are all Carney’s clients. Pretrial hearings continued to Dec. 22, with jury trial remaining on the Jan. 11, 2022 docket, include:

• Tiffany Beckman, accused of two Class 4 felonies, obtaining Medicaid assistance by fraud, in an aggregate in excess of $1,500, and obtaining Nebraska Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by fraud, in an aggregate in excess of $1,500; $5,000 personal recognizance bond continued;

• Jennifer A. Blevins, 35, of Pierce, charged with a Class 4 felony, possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, $10,000, 10% bond continued;

• Debra F. Jordan, 55, of Norfolk, charged with burglary, a Class 2 felony, and a Class 1 misdemeanor, theft by unlawful taking, $10,000 personal recognizance bond continued;

• Brian G. Tibbens, 50, of Elgin, charged with first-degree assault, a Class 2 felony, and terroristic threats, a Class 3A felony, remanded to Antelope County sheriff Robert Moore’s custody, pending posting $100,000, 10% bond;

• Anthony P. Lehman, 36, of Carrollton, Texas, charged with four counts, theft by receiving stolen property, more than $5,000, a Class 2A felony; possession of heroin, a Class IV felony; possession of marijuana, an infraction; and possession of drug paraphernalia, an infraction; infraction counts to be heard at a bench trial immediately following jury trial, remanded to custody of Moore, pending posting $50,000, 10%, bond; and

Johnson granted a motion to continue, filed Nov. 11 by court-appointed attorney, Martin Klein of Neligh, on behalf of Samantha F, Lowder, 33, due defendant’s inpatient treatment in Norfolk. Pretrial is continued to Dec. 22, with jury trial remaining Jan. 11 on three counts, theft by receiving stolen property, more than $5,000, a Class 2A felony; possession of methamphetamine, a Class 4 felony; and criminal impersonation, also a Class IV felony. A $10,000 PR bond is continued.

A status hearing for George M. Kelly, 28, of Topeka, Kansas, charged with two Class 3A felony counts of violating requirements of the Sex Offender Registration Act, is set Jan. 26, 2022, with trial set March 21, 2022; $5,000 personal recognizance bond is continued, with conditions allowing him to reside and work in Kansas. He is represented by Carney.