Twenty seven potential jurors reported for duty Friday in Madison Township County Court for what was to be the first jury trial in Greenfield in a decade — but, the prospective panel of peers was sent home after the defendant pled no contest to one count of criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

A Greenfield woman appeared in court with attorney Carol Davis after last-minute negotiations with the prosecution, pled no contest and was sentenced to two years of supervision with a suspended 15-day jail sentence. One day of jail time served was credited to the sentence.

According to Clerk Monica George, if the trial had taken place, it would have been the first one held in Madison Township County Court since 2008.

Judge David McKenna, who presided over the case because Judge Robert Judkins recused himself, told The Times-Gazette before proceedings that a fourth-degree misdemeanor is the lowest-level criminal offense that can be taken to trial.

McKenna said during proceedings that the case began when law enforcement responded in November 2017 to a residence in Greenfield after it was reported that a woman had entered the home of her ex-husband without permission. According to the judge, the woman reportedly got into a verbal altercation with the man, and eventually left.

The ex-husband initially declined to press charges, saying he would have to consider the matter further, according to McKenna.

During sentencing, Davis argued that the woman was never told she was not permitted to enter the home, was never interviewed by law enforcement, and didn’t know charges had been filed against her until she was arrested and jailed in December 2017, more than a month after the incident. Davis requested a lenient sentence from the judge.

On behalf of the state, Highland County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jim Roeder requested the woman be placed under supervision and ordered to have no contact with her ex-husband.

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.