As jury trial week approaches, the trial docket has narrowed considerably as some defendants have opted out of their day in court through plea bargaining. Here's a rundown of some of the higher-profile cases:
Robert York, 56 when he was arrested in December for possession of 13 pipe bombs he and his girlfriend, Teshena Bates, told law enforcement they needed to deal with an ex-boyfriend of Ms. Bates, will not go to trial.
As a result of a deal he negotiated with prosecutors, 13 counts of unlawful possession of explosive devices against York were dismissed and he entered a guilty plea to 13 lesser counts of unlawful handling of explosive devices, each with a 20-year prison term, but those are to be served concurrently. He also got a year apiece for counts of driving on improper registration, no proof of insurance and improper tires, but those are also to be served concurrently. The sentence boils down to 20 years, the first 10 to be served in jail and the rest on probation. He will receive credit for time served since his Dec. 5 arrest.
Teshena Bates, 36 when she was arrested, and who was also charged with possession of the illegal homemade bombs, is shortlisted for trial on Monday. Court personnel specified she may still choose to plead before proceedings begin.
Danny Hall, who was arrested for aggravated assault after he shot at an out-of-towner who wound up on Hall's property in Wildwood, in a vehicle that didn't belong to him, after a bibulous Christmas party, has chosen to plead rather than argue his case in court. He pled guilty of pointing a pistol at a person and was sentenced to a $750 fine and 12 months' probation, which may be suspended after six.
Daniel Snyder, the joyrider in that incident, which took place in December 2016, was ordered to serve 10 days in jail of a 36-month sentence for DUI, open container and driving while license suspended. There were also a fine of $300 and restitution of $600. He was not prosecuted for original charges of auto theft and giving false information to police.
Frederick Baugh, who in September led local law enforcement on a wild high-speed chase through Trenton, ending in damage to three police cruisers, pled guilty to DUI (drugs), speeding, fleeing and eluding police. He was sentenced to a $750 fine and a five-year prison term, with the first in jail and the rest on probation, with credit for time served since his arrest.
Charles Kevin Wooten, 41, was to have gone to trial in three combined cases next week. Now prosecutors have dropped charges in one of those cases in exchange for guilty pleas in the others. He was sentenced to 20 years, 15 to be served in jail and the other five on probation, for a series of charges including trafficking in cocaine, sale of methamphetamine, possession of testosterone ethanate, possession of a firearm, and others. There was also a $300 fine.
Other defendants scheduled for trial next week face charges of burglary, drug use and child abuse.
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