| Show Suspects face felony charges bound over Seventh Circuit Court Judge Whitney D Hammond Monday bound over for trial In district court a year old Maeser man on charges of burglary and theft In connection with the break In of ofa ofa a Vernal home Nov 14 Vernal police have charged Michael Shawn Rankin with burglary of the Gene McFarland residence We West t North and the theft of property from the residence worth more than 1000 Both charges are second degree felonies Rankin is free after posting a bond Jud Tuesday bound over for trial Dallas Richens 19 My Myton ton on a second degree felony charge of automobile theft In connection with the incident that allegedly Involved Rankin The judge took under advisement a similar charge against William Finney 19 Vernal Judge Hammond held preliminary hearings Tuesday for Richens and Fin Fin- Finny Finny ny on burglary charges Involving the McFarland residence and on a charge of production of a controlled substance marijuana against Richens Richens was ordered to appear In District Court for arraignment on the auto theft charge Dec 7 Judge Ham Ham- Hammond Hammond mond dismissed a second automobile theft charge against Richens Involving a vehicle reported stolen by Parrish Oil Tools Inc at the request of attorney Clark B Allred Judge Hammond after a two hour preliminary hearing Monday dismissed charges against Rankin of automobile theft and production of a controlled substance The judge said he failed to find probably cause to bound Rankin over for trial on those charges based on evidence presented at the hearing Judge Hammond ordered Rankin to appear In District Court for arraign arraign- arraignment ment on the burglary and theft charges Dec 7 lIe He also ordered ball bail reduced from to for Richens and Finny who were being held In the Uin- Uin Uintah Uintah tah County Jail Monday Defense attorney John R R Anderson re- re requested requested quested that the automobile theft and controlled substance charges against Rankin be dismissed for lack of evidence He argued that all evidence gathered by Vernal Police was Illegally obtained when Rankin Richens and tin Fin Finney ney were arrested Nov 15 Police S t Dave Madsen testified that he and another officer responded to a report of a civil disturbance about 2 am Nov 15 at the Fairview Trailer Park East North space B- B 7 The trailer court manager said three men later iden iden- iden as Rankin Finney and Richens lichens were staying In a trailer without notify notify- notifying notifying ing her or paying rent Madsen testified A pair of detectives later responded after uninformed officers discovered money clips cigarette lighter holders and belt buckles reported stolen in the trailer along with a pair of chainsaws and liquor according to testimony by officers Vernal Detective Dave Free testified that he and Detective Joe Boren also found a wristwatch a pair of snowmobile boots and a pick up truck reported stolen Nov 12 and a plant later identified as marijuana McFarland the victim of the Nov 14 break In Identified the money clips belt buckles lighter holders and the wristwatch as Items take from fram his residence lie testified that police gave him two checkbooks found at the trailer McFarland an employee of Parrish Oil Tool Inc 1281 East Highway 40 also Identified a second wristwatch police recovered Nov 15 from a pick up truck reported stolen Nov 12 by Bill Jr Jr's s 's Drilling 88 South Pinyon Dr Dwight Wayne Pitcher Sr Roosevelt testified that he was awakened at his home about am Nov 12 by Richens lichens who asked for help with a truck stuck in a nearby Pitcher said he failed to identify the other men with continued on page 2 Bound over continued from page 1 Richens but noticed the emblem on the side of the truck and call the Bill Jr's Drilling the next day Police recovered at the trailer court a company vehicle reported stolen by McFarland according to testimony Police charged Richens and Finney In that incident Anderson argues that testimony and evidence failed to place Rankin with the stolen truck from the Bill Jr's trilling Judge Hammond asked prosecuting attorney Kirk Bennett Lets assume he Rankin rode In It Is that probable cause that he stole It Bennett argued that a statement taken from Rankin Hankin by Vernal Detective Dave Free Introduced as evidence indicated the defendant knew of the planned theft of the truck Anderson unsuccessfully ob ob- objected to the statement being ed as evidence claiming It was obtain ed Improperly Detective Free testified that the truck reported stolen by Bill Jr's Drilling was found overturned east of Vernal near a gravel pit with about damage He said he obtained a warrant for Richens arrest on the auto theft charge and served the warrant at Fair Fair- Fairview view Trailer Court |
