Clinton County Circuit Court hears arraignments, pleas, sentences and civil motions; specialty‑court referrals ordered

A Clinton County Circuit Court docket hearing moved a large slate of criminal and civil matters, including arraignments, guilty pleas, probation‑revocation hearings and sentencing hearings. The session produced a mix of immediate sentences, conditions placed on release, orders to perform probation/parole investigations and scheduling orders for additional negotiations or trials.

The court took a number of routine docket actions (arraignments, reciprocal discovery orders, appointments of counsel and scheduling of negotiation/trial dates) and reached final outcomes in several cases. Where the record shows the court imposed sentences or revoked diversion, those orders were entered on the record and reflected in the hearing minutes. The bench also handled multiple bond and supervision conditions (curfews, stay‑away orders and work‑release allowances) and referred some defendants to the Clinton County Specialty Court (drug court) for assessment or participation.

Among the criminal matters resolved during the session: the court accepted the Commonwealth’s recommendation in at least one case and imposed a five‑year probated sentence to run concurrently with other counts subject to specialty‑court enrollment and conditions; the court declined to revoke one defendant’s probationary sentence and instead ordered the remaining days of home incarceration or custody be served; and the court signed a number of plea‑and‑sentence dispositions and scheduled plea/negotiation dates and future court dates (commonly February 28 or March 6 for negotiation dates). Several defendants were appointed public defenders during arraignment and, where requested, the court assessed counsel fees for appointed representation with an orderly payment plan.

The court also heard civil motions, including a summary‑judgment motion in a motor‑vehicle/uninsured‑motorist collection case. The judge gave the pro se defendant a 15‑day window to obtain counsel and file any response to the motion; a follow‑up hearing was set for the March rule day.

The session included numerous administrative case management rulings: the court required probation/parole investigations before imposing sentence in several matters, ordered records or lab results to be produced where necessary, and insisted that criminal defense counsel and clients appear together at pretrial conferences so conferral can occur on the record. Where discovery, witness availability or pending investigations prevented a full hearing, the court continued matters to fixed future dates rather than entering final rulings.

Cases resolved or advanced to a firm next step included (selected items from the docket): - A defendant whose case the Commonwealth moved to sentence received a three‑year sentence as reflected in the probation/parole investigation the court adopted on the record. - Defendant Keisha Dickin (24CR0052 and 24CR0075) was sentenced to five years to be probated concurrently, with a condition that she enroll in the Clinton County Specialty Court and report to probation; the court set court costs at $150 with a $30 monthly payment arrangement. - Archie Boykins (revocation docket, 24CR0064) was not revoked; the court ordered he serve the remaining portion of his previously imposed 120 days of home incarceration in custody and continue on probation subject to existing conditions. - Several defendants (identified on the record by case number) were arraigned, confirmed receipt of indictments returned by the Clinton County grand jury, and pleaded not guilty; the court set negotiation dates and discovery deadlines and entered reciprocal discovery orders. - In a civil case concerning an uninsured motorist claim, the judge continued the summary‑judgment matter and gave the defendant 15 days to retain counsel and respond; a 01:30 p.m. March hearing was set for further proceedings.

The judge repeatedly instructed counsel that the purpose of docket conferences is to have counsel and clients confer in open court, to narrow issues, and to produce written plea offers or written settlement proposals when asked. Where digital evidence (text messages or phone data) was alleged to be central to a contested hearing, the judge deferred a final ruling until the parties could provide that material in a usable form or until a limited evidentiary hearing could be scheduled.

The court scheduled multiple trial and negotiation dates on the March rule day and instructed parties to file proposed jury instructions and key witness lists in advance where a jury trial was likely. Several matters were continued so parties could complete depositions or for the prosecution to complete lab or forensic work.

Ending The docket session resolved multiple individual prosecutions and set firm dates and conditions in many others. Court staff, defense counsel and prosecutors were directed to circulate orders reflecting the conditions stated on the record and to return on the scheduled negotiation or trial dates if cases were not resolved by agreement.