Category: Court News

BULLHEAD CITY – A Bullhead City woman choked back tears of happiness when she was acquitted of drug charges in Kingman Thursday afternoon. “I hope the newspaper reports this because I am innocent,” Christy Tyler, 41, quietly said to defense attorney Rhys Campbell. Campbell told the Mohave County Superior Court jury Thursday morning that Tyler should have never been arrested or charged in the case. He said that Michael Furrow was the target of the search warrant served at a home in the 700 block of River Gardens Drive following an investigation of suspected drug activity. Campbell argued that Tyler…

KINGMAN – A Mohave County judge has rejected a plea agreement for a man who stole property from a man who gave him a place to stay, beat his wife in Dolan Springs and fired bullets at sheriff’s deputies. Judge Billy Sipe last Thursday said the plea deal mandating a 15.5-year prison sentence for Wendell Odom, 37 was too lenient. Investigation began in late March when Vaughan Hargrave reported that a firearm had been stolen when Odom left his property. Deputies learned that Odom had abused his wife and they encountered gunfire when they tried to confront him on April…

KINGMAN – Local judge Billy Sipe has begrudgingly granted continuances in the separate trials of Lake Havasu City parents who are charged in the death of their toddler. Judge Sipe expressed frustration that parties could not soon be ready when he set November 5 trials for Andrew Lamorie, 23, and Brittany Rodriquez, 26, back in January. The continuance motions, filed by Lamorie’s attorney Robin Puchek and Rodriquez legal defender Ron Gilleo, were based on contention of late disclosure by the state. Gilleo said it’s not uncommon to learn about several missing pages just prior to trial, but he said that…

KINGMAN – A Kingman drug dealer has entered a plea agreement that will send him to the Arizona Department of Corrections. Michael Stanley, 33, pleaded guilty Tuesday to two counts of possession of narcotic drugs for sale. Deputy Mohave County Attorney Greg McPhillips said one conviction involves Stanley’s possession of one gram of heroin at his Potter Avenue home in March. He said the second conviction involves another five grams at the same residence in April. Several other charges are dismissed in the deal, including a dangerous drug for sale charge involving a half ounce of methamphetamine. McPhillips said Stanley…

KINGMAN – Trial opened Thursday, Oct. 17, in Kingman for a Lake Havasu City man charged with attempted second degree murder of SWAT team officers who executed a search warrant at his home in the 1600 block of South Palo Verde Boulevard. Officers were uninjured, but the defendant, Charles Gonzalez, 24, was shot at least three times when officers fired more than 20 rounds during the October, 2016 encounter Prosecutor Jaimye Ashley told the Mohave County Superior Court jury that officers loudly announced their presence and directed Gonzalez to comply with commands to drop his weapon as they entered his…