Court briefs
Fla. man convicted A Florida man whom a state police trooper saw buy drugs in Uniontown was convicted of possession of crack cocaine on Thursday.
But Fayette County jurors did not convict Michael Robert Imler Jr., 20, of Cape Coral, of possession with intent to deliver, meaning they believed the 14 individually wrapped rocks of crack cocaine he had stuffed in his sock were for his personal use.
A trooper driving in the city saw Imler take the drugs from an unidentified man at the intersection of Austin Street and Collins Avenue on June 8 around 8 p.m. When Imler saw the uniformed trooper in his marked patrol car about 20 feet away, court documents indicate he shoved the drugs in his sock.
Imler allowed police to search him, according to court documents, and the trooper recovered the drugs.
Retrial under way
Eight months after a panel of Fayette County jurors failed to decide if a Uniontown man was guilty of a crime when he allegedly pointed a shotgun at city police, he was back in trial.
Gary Tracy was charged with five counts of reckless endangerment after the alleged incident on June 12, 2003. Tracy, 53, testified previously that he never pointed a gun at three police officers and two emergency medical workers who responded to his home at 142 Coolspring St. after a car crashed into his front porch.
Tracy acknowledged, however, that he had the gun at his side for protection because he was afraid of Sgt. Jonathan Grabiak, one of the responding officers.
Although Tracy had testified that Grabiak kicked his front door and hit it with a nightstick when he came outside to check the damage to his porch, Grabiak and other witnesses denied that account.
Tracy was first tried in February, when jurors convicted him of disorderly conduct. After several hours of deliberations, they could not reach a verdict on the reckless endangerment charges.
In March, he was sentenced to 12 months house arrest for the disorderly conduct conviction.
The trial will pick up this morning before Judge Steve P. Leskinen.
Woman acquitted
Fayette County jurors acquitted Elizabeth Marie Ross, 43, of Dunbar of criminal mischief on Wednesday.
State police alleged that on June 9, 2004, Ross, of 174 Brick Road, cut down a fence at Donald Baker’s home at 223 Hard Hill Road in Dunbar.
Baker and two witnesses, according to court records, saw Ross cutting down the fence about 4 p.m. Police said the damage to the fence totaled nearly $2,000.
Man convicted
A homeless man was convicted in Fayette County Court Thursday of assault and theft for stealing a car from St. Patrick’s Apartments on Gallatin Avenue in Uniontown earlier this year.
City police said that on May 10, Joseph L. Fletcher, 43, pulled a 1995 Buick Riviera owned by Bret Sweeney from a garage at the apartment building. Sweeney, police said, tried to stop Fletcher as he was pulling out, but Fletcher continued to drive.
Sweeney was holding a car door and got dragged along the ground, according to court documents. He eventually let go of the door, police said, but sustained abrasions to his body.
Fletcher drove away, but police stopped him a few minutes later.
He was convicted of aggravated assault and receiving stolen property, but acquitted of simple assault. Fletcher will be sentenced at a later date.