Highland County Common Pleas Judge Rocky Coss scolded a Hillsboro man during court proceedings Thursday for violations of his house arrest and pre-trial supervision, including going to see a movie and getting married, as well as failing to provide a urine sample for drug testing several times.
Debbenair Noble, 19, Hillsboro, was taken into custody after failing to provide a urine sample during a half-hour recess ordered by the judge.
Thursday’s hearing was set for Noble to request a diversion program in lieu of conviction. His request was denied.
Court documents show Noble was indicted in March for receiving stolen property, a fifth-degree felony, after allegedly being involved in an incident wherein a John Deere Gator was stolen and driven into a pond.
A bill of particulars filed in the case alleges Noble and two others rode the Gator together after it was stolen and “ramped it into a pond.”
“You can’t even comply with pretrial supervision,” Coss said. “What you’ve shown is you thumb your nose at the probation department… You’re really facing a problem here.”
At one point during the hearing, Noble attempted to speak up, but Coss said, “Don’t even open your mouth, because you’ll only give yourself an even bigger problem.”
Coss said Noble’s actions showed he didn’t respect the law as much as he should, and ordered a recess for Noble to submit to a drug test. In half an hour, Noble was unable to provide a sample, and Coss ordered he be taken into custody.
“I’m sure you’ll provide a sample within the next three days,” Coss said.
Noble’s next hearing is set for Monday, June 12 at 1 p.m.
Also Thursday, David Grubb, 20, Piketon, was sentenced to 10 months in prison after admitting to community control violations. He was convicted of aggravated possession of methamphetamine in September of last year and sentenced to three years of community control sanctions, as well as drug treatment at the STAR Community Justice Center, Coss said.
Grubb’s attorney, Susan Zurface, said Grubb told her he’s “just not cut out for what rehab requires of him at this time.”
“You don’t seem interested in changing your path,” Coss told Grubb during proceedings. “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it… and you can lead an addict to treatment, but you can’t make him take it.”
Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.
