Drug counts dominate CP Court caseload

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert County Common Pleas Court recently released criminal case statistics for the last four years, with drug cases taking up the lion’s share of the court’s docket during that time.

The statistics also show the impact that drugs have on local society, with at least twice as many drug cases seen each of the past four years, compared to any other category of crime.

The statistics are actually a bit lower than they could be, since they include only one case per defendant and only the highest charge on each indictment for multi-count indictments.

Drug-related cases totaled 49 in 2011, but then soared to 128 in 2012 — as cheap Mexican heroin also flooded into Van Wert County. Last year, drug cases were cut nearly in half, to 67, but that number increased to 87 in 2014.

In addition to cases directly linked to drugs, the next highest number of cases — for theft and burglary/breaking (B&E) and entering — are indirectly attributed to drugs, since most, if not all, are committed to obtain money to purchase drugs.

In 2011, there were 22 theft cases and 23 counts of burglary/B&E, while the number of thefts increased to 30 and the burglary cases decreased to 13 the next year. In 2013, there were 10 theft cases and 26 burglary charges, while this year saw 15 theft cases and 19 burglary indictments.

There were two murder cases in that four-year span, with the first being Chad Phillips’ fatal shooting of Chris McMillen on May 12, 2011, and the second Tamara Menke’s murder of her mother, Barbara Robinson, on November 15, 2013.

Domestic violence accounted for more than 30 cases over the past four years, with 11 cases seen in both 2011 and 2012, four domestic violence cases in 2012 and eight cases this year. Assault cases ranged from two in 2011 to nine in 2013. There were seven assaults in 2012 and eight assault cases this year.

Sex-related offenses totaled 29 during the past four years, with 10 of those filed in 2013. There were eight sex cases in 2011, five in 2012 and six this year.

Nine people were also prosecutor for failing to register as a sex offender, as required by law, during the past four years, including more than half (5) this year.

There were eight robbery defendants over the past four years, with three of those in 2011, two in 2012, none in 2013 and three again this year.

Other charges, and their totals for each of the four years, are as follows:

• Child endangering – one in 2011, none in 2012, four in 2013 and one in 2014
• Having weapons under disability – three in 2011, two in 2012, three in 2013 and none in 2014
• Receiving stolen property – five in 2011, five in 2012, one in 2013 and none in 2014
• Identity fraud – none in 2011, two in 2012, one in 2013 and one in 2014
• Forgery – six in 2011, five in 2012, two in 2013, and one in 2014
• Civil protection order violations – one in 2011, five in 2012, none in 2013 and two in 2014
• Driving while under the influence (felony) – six in 2011, two in 2012, three in 2013 and two in 2014
• Vandalism (felony) – none in 2011, one in 2012, four in 2013 and two in 2014
• Bad checks – three in 2011, two in 2012 and none in both 2013 and 2014
• Intimidation of witnesses – one in 2011, three in 2012 and one in both 2013 and 2014
• Safecracking – none in 2011, one in 2012 and none in both 2013 and 2014
• Vehicular homicide – none in 2011, one in 2012 and none in both 2013 and 2014
• Manufacturing explosives – none in 2011, one in 2012 and none in both 2013 and 2014
• Tampering with evidence – none in 2011, one in 2012, two in 2013 and four in 2014
• Trespassing – one in 2011 and none in 2012, 2013 and 2014
• Falsification to buy a firearm – one in 2011 and none in the other three years
• Perjury – one in 2011 and none in the other three years
• Fleeing and eluding – one in 2011 and none in the other three years
• Telephone harassment – two in 2011, none in 2012, one in 2013 and two in 2014
• Arson – one in 2011, none in 2012 and 2013 and one in 2014