Murray woman agrees to plea bargain
A Murray woman who faced charges related to an investigation of prescription drugs and alcohol that were allegedly sold to juveniles has pleaded guilty to a lesser offense.
Jessica Robinson, 29, who was previously charged with unlawful possession of prescription drugs and providing alcohol to a person under legal age, pleaded guilty Dec. 7 to supplying cigarettes to a minor, a simple misdemeanor.
The charge comes with a $65 fine.
According to court records, Robinson was originally accused of trading a bottle of vodka for four prescription drugs.
A jury trial was scheduled for Dec. 7. Clarke County Attorney Ron Wheeler said he was only allotted one day to complete the trial, but with nine witnesses, that would have been impossible to do.
"Given all the factors and the bad weather coming in, and after reviewing the case with the sheriff, we decided to accept a plea bargain," Wheeler said.
Wheeler said Clarke County handles the same number of cases as Decatur and Union counties combined. To keep the system moving, it is sometimes necessary to accept plea bargains.
"If I didn't accept plea bargains, it could shut down the system," he said. "When reducing the charges, I still try to fit the sentence to the crime."
As part of the investigation in September, officials said Luke Muselman, 15, of Grand River, was charged with providing prescription pills to an underage person, a Class C felony.
Muselman was also charged, along with another Murray student, with third-degree burglary in connection with the theft of firearms from a Murray residence.
