Judge sentences Mountain Home woman to a day in jail for not contacting public defender

Josh Dooley | The Baxter Bulletin

As part of standard procedure when arraigning a defendant who is using the services of the public defender, Baxter County Circuit Court Judge Gordon Webb orders defendants to communicate with their attorneys.

That order is part of the electronic record of a defendant's case and can be viewed by the defendant, or any member of the public for that matter. When Webb issues the order to the defendant, the judge informs the defendant if they fail to communicate with the public defender, they can be held in contempt of court.

The judge goes on to tell defendants he does so because it is in their best interest to communicate with the attorney defending them. The judge also informs them public defenders have heavy case loads and do not have time to track defendants down.

More: Mountain Home man accused of CNN threats pleads not guilty

In court on Thursday, 28-year-old rural Mountain Home resident Patricia Wheeler learned the warning Webb gives is real. Wheeler was set to appear Thursday to check the status of her case.

When the judge called her name, she was not present in the courtroom. Her public defender informed the judge Wheeler had not been in good contact with him.

Wheeler appeared later during the court session and stood before the judge on charges of possession of methamphetamine and driving while license suspended.

The judge asked Wheeler why she had not been in contact with her attorney. Wheeler told the judge she had medical conditions and was pregnant.

More: AG Alert: Low temperatures can mean higher savings

However, Wheeler was arrested in July of this year and had not made contact with her public defender. While the judge was sympathetic to Wheeler's medical condition, he informed her she was in contempt of court.

Webb said he would take her medical issues in consideration. That did not prevent the judge from sentencing Wheeler to spend a day in jail on the contempt charge.

The judge informed Wheeler, again, that keeping in contact with her attorney was important not only so that her attorney could provide her with an adequate defense, but also to keep her case moving forward.

More: Gengler admits to rape, kidnapping

Wheeler was fortunate as the judge ordered a second defendant who failed to maintain contact with her public defender to spend the weekend in jail.

The charges against Wheeler stem from a July 6 incident where Wheeler was allegedly found driving an ATV on a county road early in the morning. At the time of the traffic stop, Wheeler was on felony probation and had a search waiver on file.

The deputy conducting the traffic stop reportedly found Wheeler to be in possession of meth.

Wheeler was on felony probation for three separate cases involving drugs, theft, forgery and fraudulent use of a credit card.