Three recently arrested individuals get approved for drug court

By Spencer Burt
On Monday, one woman and two men who had been arrested for drug-related charges were approved by Judge Kevin Allen to attend drug court at Utah's First District Court in Logan.
Lisa Flores, Joe Bob Lewis, and Camren Glenn were all arrested in March and charged with drug possession. All three of them, along with several other recently arrested individuals, had their initial appearances with Allen on Monday. Their attorneys, Bryan Galloway for Flores and Lewis, and Shannon Demler for Glenn, requested the judge authorize the three to begin drug court, which he approved. The next day, these three were brought into the courtroom by Cache County Sheriff's deputies to observe drug court.
Drug court is overseen by Judge Thomas Willmore. According to Kevin Mortensen, one of the many who attends each week, it's a second chance for people with drug problems. Rather than go to rehab or keep going in and out of jail, drug court lets people who have been charged or convicted of drug possession or abuse spend time attending support groups, looking for work, attending school, and being around supportive friends and family. Mortensen said that if one completes drug court, which takes a minimum of 16 months, the judge will dismiss that person's charges.
"It's really, really intensive and strict," Mortensen said. If someone breaks any of the strict rules, such as drinking alcohol or using any form of illegal drugs, Judge Willmore usually sends them back to jail, Mortensen said.
One exception to this general rule of thumb was Trevor Shepherd. He is on phase one of five in the program. "I was on phase two, but I ran away from drug court," he said. "I just took off, went back to West Valley."
He was arrested on a warrant in November 2016 the day before he was planning to turn himself back in. "They could have kicked me out and sent me to prison, but they gave me an opportunity to restart."
Shepherd says drug court is a lot different than when he first started it. "Nothing has changed but my attitude," he said. "I have a lot more to work for."

Logan man found with stolen car leads to arrest with multiple charges

By Spencer Burt

Logan police arrested 38-year-old Joe Bob Lewis on Saturday after spotting him in a vehicle was reported stolen just days earlier. 

Lewis' girlfriend reported her vehicle was missing on March 8, and she suspected he was the one who stole it. On Saturday at 12:45 a.m. a Logan patrol officer saw a car matching the description parked at 7-Eleven on 400 North and Main Street. After checking the plates and confirming that it was the stolen vehicle, the officer called for backup before approaching the vehicle, since he couldn't tell how many people were inside. While the officer waited for help, the car left the parking lot and headed west on 400 North. The officer pulled the car over, but when it stopped two men got out and fled on foot. The officer pursued the driver, Lewis, and apprehended him about a block away. The other man was unidentified and was not caught.

"People like to run from us for some reason," Officer Kristian Johnson said. "I don't think they realize they're usually going to get caught, and they're making it worse for themselves."

Lewis was booked in the Cache County Jail on nine charges, including a felony charge for theft, a felony and two misdemeanor charges for drug possession, and two warrants for failing to appear in court.

"We'd been looking for Joe Bob for a while," Capt. Tyson Budge said, because of the warrants for his arrest and the report of his girlfriend's car missing.

Lewis will appear in court on March 27 at 1:30 p.m.

Man taken to hospital after family members requested help of emergency services

By Spencer Burt

A man was taken to the hospital Tuesday night after officers and emergency services responded to a 911 call coming from the area of 600 East and 200 North in Logan.

The man's daughter called around 7 p.m. to report that he was having a mental breakdown. He was not armed or dangerous, but he was "not responding to reason" and the family feared for his own safety, Capt. Tyson Budge said. Two police officers, an ambulance and a fire truck responded to the home. The police went to the door to talk to the man, then escorted him to the ambulance where emergency medical technicians assessed him.

"He's not remembering his own birthday or anything," an EMT on the scene said while examining him.

The man was transported by ambulance to Logan Regional Hospital for further examination. Budge said he went willingly.