Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, Darius White was found guilty by a Bay County jury of Possession of Marijuana in Excess of 20 Grams and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that the Panama City Police Department Street Investigations Unit executed a search warrant on the Defendant’s girlfriend’s house on December 29, 2017, and located approximately 400 grams of marijuana throughout the house, as well as various drug paraphernalia.  During the trial, the State presented testimony from Corporal Darby Gay of PCPD, and the jury heard jail calls that were made while the search warrant was being served where the Defendant claimed ownership of the marijuana.  Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet scheduled sentencing for June 11, 2018.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Nicole Reed and Peter Overstreet.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on Friday, May 25, 2018, a Washington County jury convicted Danny Underwood of two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Firearm and three counts of Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle.  Testimony revealed that Underwood had fired several shots from a .22 caliber revolver after his wife had engaged in a verbal altercation with neighbors.  The shooting resulted in damage to two vehicles and injury to an 18-year old man that was attempting to break up the argument.  Circuit Judge Timothy Register scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2018.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Shalla Jefcoat.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on Tuesday, May 29, 2018, a Washington County jury convicted Joseph McLeroy of Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement, Child Abuse, and Driving on a Suspended License.  McLeroy, whose license was suspended at the time, led officers on a chase through the City of Chipley.  During the chase McLeroy failed to obey traffic signs and nearly avoided at least one accident.  Once McLeroy’s vehicle was stopped, a 19-month old child was found in the front passenger seat of the vehicle.  The child was not restrained in a car seat.  According to McLeroy’s testimony, he had picked the child up in Panama City, FL and was transporting the child home to a local residence.  Circuit Judge Timothy Register scheduled sentencing for June 14, 2018.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Shalla Jefcoat.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on May 25th, 2018, a Bay County jury found Alicia Goodwin guilty as charged of Possession of Marijuana in Excess of 20 grams and Possession of Paraphernalia.  The charges arose when Panama City Police Department executed a search warrant on the Defendant’s hotel room on April 15th, 2017.  Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that during the search, Sgt. Dustin Patterson found a digital scale sitting in plain view on the Defendant’s bed, and Inv. Curtis Bland found two bags of marijuana hidden in the Defendant’s trash can.  The jury heard testimony from FDLE Analyst Jeremiah Bortle, who tested the substance and confirmed that it was 66.88 grams of marijuana.  After deliberating for about ten minutes, the jury returned guilty verdicts as to both counts.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Calie Rivera and Nichole Pieper.  Judge Overstreet scheduled the Defendant’s sentencing for July 13th, 2018.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on May 22, 2018, Kevin John Butler was found guilty by a Bay County jury of Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Serious Bodily Injury and Reckless Driving Causing Serious Bodily Injury.  The jury heard from the victim, Jacque Carte; Trooper Ronald Ward; Deputy Alex Young; Dr. Cyril Desilva; and U.S. Navy Master Chief Tyson Hoover.  Mr. Carte was driving his Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound on Thomas Drive on February 3, 2017 around 10:45 pm.  The Defendant was driving his Jeep westbound and crossed in the oncoming lane and struck Mr. Carte.  Mr. Carte suffered several injuries including a broken neck.  The Defendant failed to stop and assist Mr. Carte and crossed back over the median and the westbound lanes and struck a mailbox and hit a covered porch/carport multiple times attempting to free his vehicle from the damage.  Master Chief Hoover came out of his condominium and attempted to stop the Defendant but the Defendant, after freeing his vehicle, drove back across all four lanes of traffic and crashed in the south side shoulder of Thomas Drive.  Master Chief Hoover ran over to Mr. Carte and rendered aide and then went to the Jeep and prevented the Defendant from leaving the scene.  Trooper Ward, Deputy Young, and Master Chief Hoover all testified that the Defendant was heavily intoxicated by alcoholic beverages.

The jury deliberated approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes before returning the guilty verdicts.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Barbie Beasley and Mark Graham.  Circuit Judge Michael C. Overstreet scheduled sentencing for July 9th, 2018, at 1:30 p.m.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Press Release

Multiple Sexual Predators Sentenced to Prison

On Monday, May 14, 2018, Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet imposed lengthy sentences for three defendants previously convicted of sexual offenses.

Timothy Abney was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with lifetime sexual predator probation to follow his prison term.  He was designated a Sexual Predator.  A Bay County jury previously found Abney guilty of two counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation of a Victim Less than 12 Years of Age.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Peter Overstreet and Nicole Reed.

Billy Mathis was sentenced to 3 terms of life imprisonment and was designated a Sexual Predator.  A Bay County jury previously found Mathis guilty of Sexual Battery on a Victim Less than 12 Years of Age, and two counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Peter Overstreet and Lawrence Gill.

Johnny Ray Strickland was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with lifetime sexual predator probation to follow his prison term. He was designated a Sexual Predator.  A Bay County jury previously found Strickland guilty of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Peter Overstreet and Lawrence Gill.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on May 8, 2018, a Bay County jury convicted Anthony C. Marshall as charged of Sexual Battery on a Person 12 Years of Age or Older but Younger than 18 Years of Age by a Person in Familial or Custodial Control, Lewd or Lascivious Molestation on a Person Younger than 12 Years of Age, Lewd or Lascivious Molestation on a Person 12 Years of Age or Older but Less than 16 Years of Age, and Lewd or Lascivious Battery.  All acts perpetrated on the victim occurred between the years 2010 and 2016.

Testimony at trial revealed that Marshall inappropriately touched and engaged in sexual activity with the victim from the time she was ten years of age until she was fifteen while they were at home and at his shop.  Other testimony established Marshall forced or enticed the victim and another individual to engage in sexual activity while Marshall watched and masturbated.

The jury deliberated for approximately one hour before returning a verdict of guilty as charged on all four counts.

Assistant State Attorneys Jennifer Hawkins and Alyssa Yarbrough prosecuted the case with help from Lt. Jeremy Mathis with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Victoria Maines with the Department of Children and Families.

Circuit Judge Brantley Clark, Jr. sentenced the Defendant to two consecutive life sentences followed by two consecutive sentences of 15 years in the Department of Corrections.  Judge Clark also designated the Defendant a sexual predator.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on May 7, 2018, Christina Pumphrey joined the State Attorney’s Office.  Ms. Pumphrey is assigned to the Jackson County office and will handle a felony case load.  Ms. Pumphrey brings extensive experience to the position, having previously worked as a hearing officer for the Agency for Workforce Innovation, as a Senior Attorney with the Department of Children and Families in its Leon and Jackson County offices, and as a Senior Attorney with the Department of Financial Services.  She was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2003.  We welcome Ms. Pumphrey to the team!

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on April 27, 2018, a Bay County Jury found Johnny Ray Strickland guilty as charged of a single count of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation.  Trial testimony revealed that in early 2017, the Defendant inappropriately touched the victim, who was 9 years old, on her buttocks.  The Defendant was the victim’s neighbor and would allow the victim and her sister to come over to play with his chickens in Fountain.  One day, the Defendant grabbed the victim around her waist from behind and lifted up her skirt. He then began to rub on the victim’s covered buttocks.  When this occurred, the Defendant asked the victim if she wanted him to stop.  The victim said yes and went home, where she later reported the incident to her mother and to officials at her school.  The case was then investigated by Inv. Brent Patrick of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.  The State called the victim and her mother as witnesses in its case-in-chief.  The Defendant took the stand and denied the allegations.  However, the State called Inv. Patrick to the stand in rebuttal to contradict the Defendant’s statements on the stand.  The jury convicted the Defendant in a little over an hour.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2018, before Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Peter Overstreet and Lawrence Gill.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.

Press Release

The Office of State Attorney Glenn Hess announces that on April 26, 2018, Billy Wade Mathis was found guilty by a Bay County jury of Sexual Battery of a Victim Less Than 12 Years of Age and two counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation.  The jury heard from the victim, her mother, and Deputy Ward of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.  The victim relayed that her mother’s ex-boyfriend molested her and performed sex acts on her starting in 2005 at the age of 5 years old, until she reached the age of 11.  The abuse ceased in 2010 when the Defendant and the victim’s mother ended their relationship.  The victim reported the abuse to family and authorities between December 30, 2016 and January 3, 2017.  After some Facebook messages from the victim to the Defendant letting him know that she had reported the crimes, the Defendant attempted to hang himself.  Deputy Ward testified to arriving at the attempted suicide where the Defendant had already attempted to asphyxiate himself with a belt.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Peter Overstreet and Lawrence Gill.  Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet scheduled sentencing for May 14, 2018.

For additional information, contact Chief Assistant State Attorney Larry Basford.