Order to Show Cause Hearing Held in District Court for Man Awaiting Trial

An Order to Show Cause hearing on a petition to revoke bond on a 36-year-old man awaiting trial for allegedly distributing methamphetamine in the Sheridan area, was held Wednesday afternoon in Fourth Judicial District Court in Sheridan. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

Sheridan County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Christina White recently filed a petition to revoke the bond of Brandon Hanni for failing to report to the Sheridan County Justice Office on June 1 for a drug test, and not being able to provide a urine sample for a drug test on June 9. White, at Wednesday’s hearing, said that this is the 4th time since August of last year that the defendant has been in court for violating terms of his bond by either not showing up for a drug test, or not being able to provide an adequate urine sample for the test.

Sheridan County Justice Office Administrator Dan Lindley testified that while Hanni has had trouble showing up for tests and not being able to provide a urine sample when he has shown up, he has never tested positive for methamphetamine since last year when he was court ordered to submit to random drug testing through the Justice Office. District Court Judge John Fenn continued Hanni’s bond under the same terms and conditions that were previously set and modified the frequency in which he’s randomly drug tested from high level to low level frequency. The change was made at the defendant’s request, so that he could visit his father and children out of state while awaiting trial. Last August, Hanni was arrested and charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance- methamphetamine, and one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance- methamphetamine. Hanni’s case was scheduled for trial in March of this year, but has been delayed due to the pandemic. Judge Fenn, also at Wednesday’s hearing, said that District Court is starting the transition to in-person court proceedings and set Hanni’s three-day jury trial for August 10. Judge Fenn said that a pretrial conference to discuss any outstanding issues as well as safety requirements to conduct a jury trial, will be held on July 14 at 9 am.