Tilden man ordered to spend 30 days in jail for domestic abuse

The Honorable Donna Taylor handed sentences down from the county court bench in Neligh last Wednesday, Feb.7. Joe Hurd served as prosecutor in the absence of Antelope County Attorney Joe Smith.

Kegan J. McAllister, 19, of Tilden faced Taylor for sentencing on a count of third-degree domestic assault, committed July 6, 2023.

Antelope County public defender Pat Carney asked the judge to consider probation. He said the assault was not a “fist to cuffs type of thing.”

Taylor noted a presentence report did not recommend probation because of several similar previous cases.

“Maybe that’s commentary on the probation office,” Taylor said. “It’s not the first time you have come before the court to be sentenced for domestic abuse. Didn’t we let you off probation early so you could join the service?”

McAllister affirmed Taylor’s question.

“I did,” he said. “When I got to basic, I had to leave.”

Taylor sentenced him to a 12-month term of probation, including 30 days in the Antelope County Jail, to be served forthwith. McAllister was ordered to pay probation-related fees totaling $390 and court costs of $60. Terms of probation also include no contact with the victim/child. McAllister is to obtain employment and provice proof of at least five attempts per week to probation officer until employed.

Michael R. Pulis, 46, of Atkinson appeared for sentencing on three counts committed Dec. 21, 2022, when he was involved in a collision west of Neligh, Count I, no proof of financial responsibility, a Class 2 misdemeanor; Count II, operate an unregistered vehicle, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and Count III, careless driving, an infraction.

Taylor conducted a restitution hearing since the parties had not come to agreement on restitution. Hurd called the victim, Travis Suhr of Plainview, who owned the 2002 GMC Sierra pickup destroyed in the crash. Suhr testified that before the accident, he had considered the truck to be in “good” condition. He read from “Kelly Blue Book,” a value between $4,400 and $7,800, and provided a statement from his father indicating he paid $5,300 for the vehicle in 2020, along with prices for similar pickups at area dealerships.

He said he has received no money from Pulis nor any insurance company and so could only afford to replace the truck with a much older one.

On Pulis’ behalf, Carney also provided a “Kelly Blue Book” value, although he used “trade-in” prices, showing the value between $2,800 and $4,900.

After hearing the evidence and testimony, Taylor settled on a restitution amount of $4,250 - midway between the lowest trade-in price and the highest street value price.

She fined Pulis $100 on Count I and $25 each on counts II and III and $50 costs, for a total of $4,450. She asked how much he could pay that day.

“Absolutely nothing,” he answered. He was instructed to fill out a time-payment application.

Ronald Murray, 64, Madison County Jail, appeared for pretrial hearing on Count I, no proof of financial responsibility, a Class 2 misdemeanor; Count II, operate unregistered vehicle, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and Count III, no operator’s license, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Hurd dismissed Count I in exchange for Murray’s guilty pleas to counts II and III and agreed to make no sentence recommendation. Carney told the judge his client had obtained his driver’s license.

Taylor fined Murray $25 on Count II and $100 on Count III and taxed him $131 costs of prosecution. He agreed to sit one day in the Antelope County Jail to cover balance due on fines/costs before being transported back to Madison County, where he faces similar charges.

Murray was cited May 5, 2022, by an Antelope County deputy, in Oakdale.

Brandon L. Zehner, 21, of Orchard appeared for arraignment on Count I, no proof of financial responsibility, a Class 2 misdemeanor, and Count II, operating an unregistered vehicle, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Zehner pleaded guilty to Count I and Hurd dismissed Count II. Taylor fined Zehner $100 and assessed $50 costs for the Jan. 10 offense.

Austin S. Crane, 29, of Ainsworth, pleaded guilty, by waiver, to Count II, operate unregistered vehicle, after the county attorney dismissed Count I, no proof of financial responsibility. He was fined $25 and taxed $49 costs.