Law Day cases on Jan. 5

Judge Robert L. Koffman heard these cases Jan. 5, according to Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Mittelhauser:

•Jason Davidson, 26, of Sedalia, was sentenced to 90 days in jail after an earlier guilty plea to domestic assault in the second degree. The charges arose from a Sept. 19 incident during which he struck his wife.

•Katherine Dirks, 26, of Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to forgery, admitting she signed a Sedalia City Court bond form using the name “Maria Arroyo” on Jan. 6, 2008. When she appeared in municipal court on the charge, Sedalia Police Officer Victoria Kottman saw her drive the wrong way on Second Street and ticketed her for that offense. The defendant signed this ticket “Katherine Dirks.” Kottman’s investigation into the discrepancy in the names led to the forgery charge, for which the defendant was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

•Colton Ditton, 19, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and driving while intoxicated in connection with a March 21 arrest. Sgt. Mike Perkins stopped Ditton’s vehicle as it left a parking lot at Katy Park after the park was closed. The officer found alprazolam (Xanax) pills in the possession of Ditton, who was intoxicated. Ditton was placed on probation for five years on the possession charge and sentenced to serve 60 days in jail on the DWI.

•Brandon Gross, 27, of Windsor, was sentenced to two years in prison for sexual abuse. He entered a guilty plea Dec. 1, admitting he subjected a female relative to sexual contact by the use of force on Feb. 3. The offense was originally investigated by Henry County deputies, and then turned over to Pettis County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tolbert Rowe after it was determined that the offense occurred in Pettis County.

•James Henley, 48, of Sedalia, was placed on probation on a felony drug possession charge and sentenced to serve 240 days in jail on a charge of unlawful transactions with a child. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 17. He was arrested in November 2007 when the Sedalia Police Department’s Drug Enforcement Unit served a search warrant at his home at 1317 E. Broadway Blvd., finding about a half pound of marijuana in the house. Henley’s child lived at the home.

•David Higginbotham, 46, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty to forgery, admitting he used registration stickers from two vehicles to make it appear that his motor vehicle registration was current. Sedalia Police Officer Daniel Benner arrested the defendant September 12 when he noticed the date on one of the stickers did not match Department of Revenue registration information for the vehicle. Higginbotham was sentenced to serve 30 days in jail.

•Robyn Manger, 44, of Warrensburg, was sentenced to three years in prison for driving while intoxicated. Trooper Ryan Smith arrested the defendant June 24 as he investigated a one vehicle accident on state Route 127. The offense was a felony because the defendant has two prior DWI convictions. The court reserved jurisdiction to consider probation after 120 days if the defendant successfully completes the Institutional Treatment Program while in prison.

•William Riley, 44, pleaded guilty to two counts of financial exploitation of the elderly and two counts of stealing by deceit. He admitted he fraudulently misrepresented the need for and the value of services rendered to Harold Spena in November 2007. He collected $9,550 from Mr. Spena after “charging” lightning rods on his home and putting some insulation in his attic. A 15-year prison sentence was suspended, and Riley was placed on probation for five years. Riley paid $2,500 in restitution and was ordered to pay the remaining restitution while on probation. He served six months in jail before entering his guilty plea.

•Marcus Struble, 29, of Sedalia, was sentenced to serve 180 day days in jail for DWI. He was arrested April 11 on U.S. 50 by Trooper Mark DeGraffenreid.