Court briefs, April 6, 2016

Accused

drug-selling

married couple plead not guilty

A married couple, James and Martha Mitchell, pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon in state District Court to charges of selling drugs.

The Mitchells are accused of selling the opioid Oxycontin in February 2014 during two separate incidents to an informant working in conjunction with the Tri-Agency Safe Trails Task Force.

Martha and James Mitchell are each charged with two counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs.

Judge Dan Boucher told public defender Jesse Fries to have motions ready by May 6.

James and Martha were also told to get to the Hill County Detention Center before 4 p.m. to be booked and released.

Accused TV assaulter on the loose

Jaret Blackcrow, a Hays man who is accused of hitting a man with a TV after punching and head-butting him, did not show for his sentence hearing Monday morning.

A $25,000 arrest warrant was issued for Blackcrow March 15 and the warrant continues to be outstanding after Monday.

Blackcrow’s public defendant, Randy Randolph, told the court he did not know why Blackcrow, who had kept in touch with his office, did not show up to his sentence hearing.

The alleged December 2015 incident earned Blackcrow charges of assault with a deadly weapon and partner or family member assault.