A Snyderville Basin resident, who was arrested last year on several charges for allegedly victimizing his girlfriend, came to Third District Court last week for sentencing.
The ultimate outcome was that 48-year-old Jason Stone pled Guilty to two lesser charges. He was sentenced to three years of supervised probation.
Under the sentence handed down from Judge Patrick Corum July 30th, Stone received no additional time behind bars. Two prison sentences were suspended. He was given 212 days in the Summit County Jail, which is the amount of time he has already spent in the county lock-up.
According to the charging documents filed last July, the victim told authorities that she had gone with Stone on a camping trip to Colorado, then had returned with him to his apartment in the Basin. She said that at various times during that interlude, in late June and early July, he had assaulted her, threatened her, and coerced her to sign a document taking back her statements about a criminal incident that spring. The woman said she had escaped from his apartment in order to notify police.
Stone's defense counsel, Patricia Geary Glenn, noted in an e-mail to KPCW that the statement of charges was changed three times in the subsequent months. The motions and documents from the defense also said, among other things, that the alleged victim's statements had been contradictory, that her demeanor when she contacted police wasn't consistent with her story, and that, for a period of time this year, the woman refused to testify at a trial.
In the Plea Agreement reached earlier this year, most of the original charges--including Aggravated Kidnapping, Stalking, and Tampering with a Witness, were dropped.
Stone pled to one Count of Aggravated Assault. Specifically, the plea document statement said on July 3rd of last year he grabbed the victim by the throat tightly.
His other plea was to one Count of Obstructing Justice. Specifically, said the document, Stone went out on his driveway, noticed that deputies had placed a spike strip there to help apprehend him, and he removed it.
The two charges are felonies, but attorney Glenn said they will be reduced to misdemeanors if he successfully completes probation. She said they were also pleased that there will be no federal charges, no charges in Colorado, and a prior Class B Misdemeanor involving the same victim will be dismissed.
The terms of probation also say he is to have no contact, direct or indirect with the victim. He has to complete any recommended Mental Health or alcohol treatment.
The probation also says he is to have no contact, direct or indirect with the victim. He has to complete any recommended Mental Health or alcohol treatment.
The probation also stipulates Stone will not frequent places where alcohol is the chief item of sale. But it says his employment as a bartender is going to be approved.
