The fall session of Attala County Circuit Court started on the last two Tuesdays with plea days, sessions in which the court reviews and authorizes agreements worked out between the District Attorney’s Office and suspects set for trial. Those pleading guilty during the session are sentenced.
What follows are brief descriptions of actions taken in relation to violent crime charges:
Rodney Earl Sanders, pleaded guilty to a felony driving under the influence charge (habitual offender), causing Circuit Judge George Mitchell to sentence him to five years in Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) custody and a $2,000 fine. However, Sanders will not serve that sentence. He was brought to court from the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility, where he is already serving two consecutive life sentences (without parole) plus 25 years in the 2016 murders of two Durant religious sisters.
A $125,000 bond was forfeited by Carlton Ashford on Attala County Circuit Court plea day when the man facing aggravated assault and firearm possession by a felon charges failed to show up in court. He was scheduled for trial on September 6. An arrest warrant was issued by Judge George Mitchell.
Shawntavius Fleming changed his plea to guilty on a drive-by shooting charge and a related possession of a stolen firearm charge was dropped. On the drive-by shooting conviction, Fleming was sentenced to a total of 15 years with the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC). He will serve eight of those years and be on probation for seven, five of which will be supervised.
Public defender Richard Carter asked the court to allow a mental health evaluation of Marcus D. Malone, who is facing two first degree murder charges and an aggravated assault charge. Carter said his client had been previously diagnosed with a mental illness. Assistant District Attorney Mike Howie argued that Malone was only suggesting mental illness because he and his attorney were unable to come to terms on a plea deal with the court. Judge Mitchell agreed to allow the evaluation as long as the report could be received from the doctor in time for a scheduled September 17 trial date.
Phillip Keith Cummings was scheduled to appear with his attorney on two counts of shooting at or into a motor vehicle, but when he appeared without counsel, the judge appointed public defender Rosalind Jordan and rescheduled the hearing to September 4.
Gary E. Glade changed his previous plea of not guilty to guilty on a possession of a firearm by a felon charge and was sentenced to serve six years. One of those years will be served on house arrest, the remaining five in supervised probation.
Jerry Stribling pleaded guilty to aggravated assault (a shooting) on Tuesday. Mitchell sentenced him to five years, two in MDOC custody followed by three on supervised release.
A non-adjudication plea on a possession of a firearm by a felon charge was entered by Kenneth Ali Harmon. Since the firearm was discovered during a traffic stop, and not in the commission of a violent crime, the plea was accepted.
The court is set to hear numerous violent crime cases during the September session, including several murder cases.
