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Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Ind. Courts - "Intoxicated defendant's trial postponed"
Sophia Voravong reports today in the Lafayette Journal and Courier:
A Lafayette man was arrested and ordered held without bond after allegedly showing up intoxicated for the first day of his criminal jury trial.James M. Coble, 55, is charged with two counts of burglary, a Class B felony; attempted theft, a Class D felony; theft, a Class D felony; and with being a habitual offender.
Prospective jurors reported Tuesday morning to Tippecanoe Superior Court 1 for what was slated to be a two-day trial. They were sent home after Judge Don Johnson noticed that Coble appeared impaired and smelled of alcohol.
Johnson had a probation officer give Coble a portable breathalyzer test, which registered 0.103 percent, Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Pat Harrington said. That's just above Indiana's legal limit of 0.08 percent to drive.
A new trial was rescheduled for March 25. Coble, meanwhile, is being held in the Tippecanoe County Jail.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 19, 2008 12:44 PM
Posted to Ind. Trial Ct. Decisions