A defendant in Cumberland County Criminal Court last week pleaded guilty to sixth-offense DUI and faces up to 15 years in prison as a Range II offender with a sentencing hearing set next month to determine the length and manner of how that sentence will be served.
Darrell Aaron Cox, 43, was facing sixth-offense DUI and driving on a revoked license charges. Sixth-offense DUI is a Class C felony. As such, Cox is facing up to 15 years in prison and fine of up to $15,000.
As part of the sentencing agreement Cox entered to avoid his scheduled trial set for April 2, Criminal Court Judge Gary McKenzie accepted the agreement of a $3,000 fine and minimum of 150 days in jail.
Cox was immediately taken into custody to begin serving the minimum agreed-to sentence. The revoked license charge was dropped.
McKenzie reviewed the rights Cox was forfeiting by entering agreement, including the unknown of sentence to serve after the sentencing hearing is held.
The 150 days Cox is serving now will be credited with any additional time he is ordered to serve. Once satisfied Cox was entering a voluntary and knowingly guilty plea, McKenzie accepted the plea and set a sentencing hearing for May 20.
Previous convictions in Anderson, Cumberland (at least two) and Fentress counties were cited as leading to the sixth-offense designation.
McKenzie also informed Cox that under state law, his driver’s license would be suspended for eight years.
The charges stemmed from a March 29, 2022, traffic stop and arrest by Crossville Police Sgt. Keith Sadula, Sgt. Chrystal Massey and Sptl. Justin Farmer.
In other cases on the docket, the following took place:
Trials set
•David Michael Murrow, continuous sexual abuse of a child, three counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, sexual battery by an authority figure, sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual exploitation, incest and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, alleged between May 2, 2020-March 4, 2023, and involving a victim the age of 16, motion hearing and deadline for plea agreement April 9; trial set April 29.
•Micah Taylor Barnes, DUI, per se, trial set for April 29.
Arraignment
•Brooke Ann Crabtree, burglary, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, robbery and theft of property of up to $1,000, continued to April 8.
•Chase Edward Trisdale, auto burglary, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated robbery, robbery and theft of property of up to $1,000, continued to April 15.
Deadline
•Dustin Michael Batch, continuous sexual abuse of a child and statutory rape by an authority figure, continued to June 3.
•Larry Norman Flake II, aggravated sexual battery, continuous sexual abuse of a child and sexual exploitation of a minor/100 images, continued to June 3.
•Douglas Shane Ford, sexual exploitation of a minor, continued to June 3.
•Miguel Ángel Francisco, DUI, per se, and underage consumption, continued to June 3.
•Jordan Andrew Griffis, home improvement fraud of $10,000 to $60,000, continued to May 6.
•Chase Edward Gunter, domestic assault, continued to May 6.
•Robert Lloyd Hardwick, DUI, per se, continued to June 3.
•Karen Nichole Hurst, possession of meth with intent,
•Roger Diamond Jackson Jr., possession of a firearm during commission of a dangerous felony, possession of .26 grams of meth or more with intent, simple possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, motion to reduce bond from $100,000 to $50,000 denied; continued to May 6.
•Michael Paul Kearley, second-degree murder and possession of a Schedule II drug with intent, continued to May 6.
•Paul Anthony Palumbo, aggravated assault, domestic assault and interfering with emergency calls, continued to June 3.
•Lonnie Delane Polson, domestic assault, continued to June 3.
Motion/petition
•Nancy Irene Lewis, cruelty to animals, continued to May 6.
•David Edward Marshall, auto burglary and theft of property of up to $1,000, continued to May 6.
•Bradley Ryan Miller, aggravated arson, continued to May 6.
•Jonathan Wayde Russell, reckless endangerment, evading arrest and theft of property of $2,500 to $10,000, continued to May 6.
•Brandi Rena Stokes, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, restitution paid in full, dropped. Simple possession of meth and simple possession, continued to May 13.
•Alissa D. Thompson, aggravated assault, continued to May 6.
•Joshua Alan Whalen, 13 counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, four counts of sexual battery of an authority figure, and one count each of attempted statutory rape by an authority figure and tattooing of a minor, continued to May 6.
Probation violation
•Kenneth Edward Kilby, revocation hearing continued.
•Jennifer Lynn Mathes, pleaded guilty to a probation violation and granted furlough to enter a long-term in-house treatment program.
•Michael Arzo Potter, Public Defender’s Office appointed to represent Potter and probation violation hearing continued to April 15.
•Linda Lacchelle Holley, pleaded guilty to a probation violation, to serve 90 days in jail at 75%.
Bound-over
•Joel Gregory Rice, two cases in bound-over status, continued to May 6.
•Michael Dale Rushing, one case in bound-over status, continued to May 6.