Sahuarita Municipal Court

Cases below were heard by Judge Maria Avilez on Oct. 27 unless otherwise noted. Information was supplied by the office of the Town Prosecutor Chris Wencker.

Kristy Michelle Johnroe, 37, Sahuarita, was given an informal diversion on a charge of driving on a suspended license, in part because she owes substantial fines to various courts and has other cases pending in Sahuarita. She was ordered to contact Southwest Intervention Services to get financial planning help in order to get her license reinstated, among other matters, and was set for a status conference on Jan. 26.

Shay Lee Denniston, 35, Tucson, pleaded guilty to DUI, was sentenced to one day in jail and was given fines and fees of $2,164 and won dismissal of criminal speeding and other charges. He had been cited in August 2008, and was appointed an attorney but never contacted that lawyer and never showed up in court. He was arrested on a warrant and was ordered to appear. He already owed $589 in fines and fees, bringing his total to $2,753. He was ordered to complete the Mothers Against Drunk Driving victim impact panel.

Veronica Monique Bryant, 25, Sahuarita, pleaded guilty to assault and disorderly conduct and was given suspended fines of $886 pending her completion of an anger management class. She was a manager at a McDonald’s restaurant and got into a shoving match with an employee outside.

Vida Mary Garbo, 45, Sahuarita, pleaded conditionally guilty to disorderly conduct, assault and trespassing, and was given suspended fines of $268 each on disorderly conduct and trespassing and $618 on assault pending her completion of an anger management class. On Sept. 30, Garbo went to the home of a woman whom she thought was having an affair with her husband and shoved the woman, yelled at her and cursed at her, police said. On Oct. 1, the victim filed for an injunction against her for harassment.

April Juanita Harris, 52, Tucson, was seen at Pima County Jail by video court and was found in contempt of court for failing to show up in court or make payments on about $1,200 in fines and fees on three cases, including a 2005 DUI case. The judge rejected her contention that a $500 bond posted by her daughter took care of her fines and she was ordered to remain in jail for 52 days, which, at $10 a day, would pay off the criminal portion of her fines.

Mark James Miller, 53, Sahuarita, seen by video court on two suspended license cases, was released after spending 100 days in jail, which reduced the criminal portion of his fines by $1,000, and was told to pay the civil portion of his fines, or $695 on one case and $2,305 on another.

Colin Keating Primm, 19, Sahuarita, who earlier had tried to count time at Green Valley Lanes bowling alley as community service with a not-for-profit agency, was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service with the Boy Scouts, the agency he proposed assisting, and was given a Nov. 24 contempt of court hearing. The judge mentioned that the case drew news coverage because he had attempted to submit time spent at the bowling alley as community service, explained that he must work with a not-for-profit organization and verified that he was not a member of the Boy Scout troop. He had pleaded guilty in June to criminal speeding after police said he was clocked at 110 mph on Interstate 19.

Xavier Jesus Mendez, 25, Sahuarita, was ordered to complete defensive driving school to resolve a charge of running a stop sign and took the standard plea bargain on a charge of driving on a suspended license. He pleaded conditionally guilty and got a suspended fine of $562. By producing a valid license in court the defendant can plead guilty instead to the lesser charge of driving with no license in his possession and pay a fine of $143.

Arrests and citations

Fernando Suarez, 21, Sahuarita, on Sept. 29, just before 6 a.m., was cited for DUI; DUI under the influence of drugs; failure to obey a traffic control device, and being in an improper position to make a left turn. Police stopped him after he allegedly drifted to the eastbound shoulder on Sahuarita Road, then turned north to La Villita Road from the wrong lane, with tires squealing and without signalling. The officer who stopped him noted signs of drinking and Suarez said he didn’t have a valid license. A check showed the license was suspended and police asked Suarez to get out of the vehicle and while talking to him saw a white powder-like substance on the edge of his nostril, then asked him to tip his head back and saw a white powdery substance inside his nostrils. He said he had a cold and a runny nose and denied having consumed alcohol or cocaine, agreed to a field sobriety test, didn’t do well, then acknowledged having had a beer and some cocaine the night before but said he was not feeling the effects of either substance. He was arrested and taken to jail and his pickup was impounded. Samples of the white powder and his blood were collected.

Oscar Fabian Huaraqui, 22, Phoenix, on Oct. 14 at Interstate 19 at Sahuarita Road, driving on a suspended license and speeding;

Sandra A. Ramos, 37, Sahuarita, Oct. 13, eastbound on Sahuarita Road at Nogales Highway, driving on a suspended license, and Roland Gene Orantes, 38, Tucson, on Oct. 16 on La Canada Drive near Duval Mine Road, displaying a fictitious plate and suspended registration.

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