District Court News

A change of plea hearing was held Tuesday in Fourth Judicial District Court for a Sheridan man charged with multiple crimes. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

On September 20, 2023, dispatch received a report of a known stolen vehicle in the drive-through line at Taco Bell on Coffeen Avenue in Sheridan. When an officer with the Sheridan Police Department arrived on scene, the suspect was in the Walmart parking lot. After being contacted by law enforcement, the suspect fled in the stolen 2017 Chevy Silverado, evading police through the parking lot before coming to a stop and exiting the vehicle in the Ramada parking lot. The suspect attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended and placed under arrest by officers after a nearby citizen tackled the individual while he was attempting to flee the scene.

27-year-old Antonio Hughes was charged with five crimes related to the alleged vehicle theft and short pursuit. Hughes, at a change of plea hearing Tuesday in District Court, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony theft, one count of misdemeanor interference with a peace officer and one count of misdemeanor unlawful contact. A misdemeanor fleeing charge was dismissed at part of the plea deal. The plea deal recommends 3 to 5 years for each felony count, 120 days in jail for the interference charge, and 90 days in jail for the unlawful contact charge. The State is recommending the felony sentences run concurrent to one another and the sentences for the misdemeanors run concurrent and concurrent to counts one and two. 

The plea agreement is non binding, meaning the judge can reject the plea deal altogether at sentencing. District Court Judge Darci Phillips ordered that a presentence investigation be completed by Probation and Parole and scheduled sentencing for April 4 at 9:30 am. Hughes’ bond was revoked and he was remanded to the custody of the Sheridan County Detention Center pending sentencing.

Other District Court News:

In December of 2020, Cory Morton was arrested and charged with eight counts of felony forgery for issuing checks from a closed checking account that once belonged to his deceased father. The checks were issued at three different businesses in Sheridan. On November 4, 2021, Morton was sentenced in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan to 4 to 6 years in prison for each of the eight counts, suspended in lieu of a 180-day split-sentence and three years of supervised probation.

An adjudication hearing was held Tuesday in District Court on the State’s motion to revoke Morton’s probation for violating the terms and conditions of his probation. At the hearing, Morton’s probation officer testified that he’s tested positive for methamphetamine numerous times, failed to show up for several drug tests, did not keep in regular contact with her, and failed to keep his ankle monitor charged. District Court Judge Darci Phillips ruled that Morton willfully and substantially violated the terms and conditions of his probation and ordered his probation revoked. Judge Phillips said a disposition hearing where Morton’s sentence will be determined will be scheduled in the immediate future.