A St. Joseph man held in jail under $10 bail for two days eventually bonded out, but didn’t show up for court. So an Associate Judge took possession of the $10 to pay the fee that prompted the arrest warrant in the first place.

The judge had already waived $985.50 in court costs in the domestic violence case of Clarence Barr. But the Crime Victims Fund fee must be paid. Last year, Marquart sentenced Barr to time already served, and ordered him to pay the ten dollars. He didn’t. An arrest warrant was issued November 7 of last year.

As we reported, Barr was arrested and returned to jail earlier this week under $10 bail awaiting Friday’s hearing. By Wednesday, after two days behind bars, someone posted bail and he was released.

“There have to be consequences for violating a court order,” said Judge Keith Marquart Friday, after Barr didn’t show up for court. The judge pointed out that Barr had asked for a month to pay the $10 during a hearing in October, but failed to show up for a payment-review hearing a month later.

“It’s not because he didn’t pay,” Marquart said, “it’s because he violated a court order.”

On Friday the judge said he would not pursue Barr’s second disobedience of a court order. “We have expended enough resources,” he said. He took the $10 posted for bail and applied it to what Barr owes to the state fund.

 

A teenage parent arrested with drug possession by officers investigating the death of his baby will remain in jail without bail.

Franklin Skeen Jr. had his first appearance Friday via video conferencing before Associate Circuit Judge Keith Marquart. When Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kate Schaefer told the judge of an incident involving threats to police and a BB gun, Judge Marquart denied bail, calling Skeen a danger to the community.

As we reported, Skeen, 17, was arrested June 1 after his baby died, allegedly from “overlay” from co-sleeping with the parents. Skeen was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a class-d felony. In court documents, investigators said both parents tested positive for marijuana and benzodiazepines. Police seized what Schaefer called “Xanax bars” from the couple’s home.

Schaefer described parts of the investigation that had not been revealed before. She said authorities found weapons in the home, including one in the bedroom, found on or near a crib. On the day of his arrest, Schaefer said Skeen cursed and threatened officers as he pushed his way back into the house, emerging later with what turned out to be a BB gun.

Schaefer’s arguments prompted Marquart to deny bail for the teen parent. Bail was originally set at $25,000 with a $5,000 cash deposit. Judge Marquart scheduled the case for a preliminary hearing on June 30 at 11 am.

Schaefer told the judge it’s not clear if the baby ever slept in the crib. Instead, prosecutors have charged the mother Kyla Watson with endangerment of a child for allegedly co-sleeping with the infant. Watson, also 17, appeared earlier before Associate Judge Rebecca Spencer, who scheduled that case for the preliminary hearing docket June 27.

Both suspects remain in custody in the Buchanan County Jail.

A man found guilty of statutory sodomy out of Buchanan County in 2008 has died while incarcerated.

According to a news release from the Missouri Department of Corrections, 65-year-old David Frakes was pronounced dead Wednesday at 11:19 a.m. at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Mo. The department said Frakes died of apparent natural causes.

According to online record, Frakes was serving a 25-year sentence for first-degree statutory sodomy out of Buchanan County after a jury found him guilty in Oct. of 2008. The victim was listed as under the age of 12.  Frakes was received into the department of corrections in 2009.

Despite what police call an extensive criminal history, Lucifer Jones of St.Joseph will serve 120 days shock time out of a five-year sentence for stealing, and could then be considered for probation.

Jones pleaded guilty to two class-d felony counts of stealing and was sentenced to concurrent five-year prison terms by Circuit Judge Daniel Kellogg Thursday. The plea agreement called for sentencing to the Dept. of Corrections under the statute that allows the judge to consider probation after 120 days.

In court, Jones admitted taking a Chevy Tahoe, and in a separate incident, forcibly taking about $750 worth of electronics items in a residence robbery. Some of the property has been returned. The judge ordered $500 additional restitution in each case.

In the original probable-cause affidavit, Det. R. Woodley of the St. Joseph Police Dept. said Jones poses a danger to the community.

“The defendant has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for Assault, Criminal Mischief, Drugs, Felon in Possession of a Weapon in OR; Violation of Ex-parte, Non Support, Assault, Leaving Scene of Accident, DWI, Stealing, Resisting Arrest,” Woodley said in the court filing. “He has 30 previous arrests since 2005 by this agency.”

Two St. Joe parents are in jail awaiting court hearings Friday stemming from the death of their three-month-old child.

In a court affidavit, police say the youngster was found “cold, unresponsive and not breathing” on June 1 at their home. An autopsy report says the manner of death was overlay, and police say the parents had been co-sleeping with the baby.

The mother, 17-year-old Kyla Watson, is charged with one class-d felony count of endangering the welfare of a child. The father, 17-year-old Franklin Skeen Jr, is charged with possession of a controlled substance.

Investigators say the couple tested positive for marijuana and benzodiazepines.

Watson is scheduled to appear in court Friday before Associate Circuit Judge Rebecca Spencer. Bail was set at $15,000 cash with the condition that the defendant submits to random drug screening if she is released on bail.

Skeen is scheduled to appear Friday before Associate Circuit Judge Keith Marquart. His bail was set at $25,000 including a $5,000 cash deposit.