MITCHELL — The following cases were among those heard Tuesday, June 3, during a circuit court session at the Davison County Public Safety Center, with Judge Chris Giles presiding:
- Kaden Geppert, 23, of Mitchell, admitted to violating his probation, which stemmed from a second-offense DUI charge. As a result, the court adjusted his original 92-day jail sentence by suspending 60 days and crediting him for 22 days already served. This left him responsible for serving 10 additional days.
- Joseph Darville, 42, of Tea, appeared in court for his arraignment. The hearing was continued for two weeks to give him time to hire his own attorney. He is facing a Class 2 misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia and a Class 5 felony charge for possession of methamphetamine.
- Elsie Leroy, 31, of Mitchell, admitted to violating her probation. She is on probation for possession of methamphetamine, a Class 5 felony. While her previously suspended five-year prison sentence remains in place, the violation resets her two-year probation period, which will now start over.
- Christopher Stunes, 43, of Mitchell, pleaded not guilty to a Class 6 felony charge of failing to register a new address. He has a history of similar offenses and was previously sentenced to two years in prison for multiple violations. A jury trial is set for October.
- Dustin Rosandic, 39, of Sioux Falls, appeared in court to face multiple charges, including intentional damage to property under $400, a Class 2 misdemeanor; grand theft of property valued between $1,000 and $2,500, a Class 6 felony; and seven counts of third-degree burglary, all Class 5 felonies. His bond, which had previously been posted by relatives who later requested a refund, was reinstated. The court approved the bond refund, and Rosandic was taken back into custody. He is now being held on a $2,500 cash bond.
- Larry Anderson, 32, of Mitchell, admitted to violating his probation. He is on probation for meth possession. Anderson is in the process of applying for drug court and is required to complete an updated treatment needs assessment. His sentencing is scheduled for July.
- Paul Garcia, 50, of Rapid City, admitted to violating his probation. He was sentenced to probation in January for meth possession and was granted a suspended execution of sentence at that time. Garcia requested a personal recognizance bond, but the court denied the request and set bond at $500 cash. He is scheduled to return to court in four weeks.
- Michael Cline Jr., 39, of Mitchell, was sentenced to 40 days in jail with 10 days suspended for driving under the influence, a Class 1 misdemeanor. He was also fined $350 and had his driver’s license revoked for 30 days. Additionally, Cline was sentenced for intentional damage to property valued between $1,000 and $2,500, a Class 6 felony. For this charge, he received a two-year prison sentence, fully suspended, along with a $300 fine and an order to pay $1,896.34 in restitution. According to court documents, while working at Casey’s General Store in Mitchell, Cline became agitated and began swearing. Management was called, and he was asked to leave. After he left, staff found damage to equipment, including cords and connectors for the register and a shattered screen on the lottery ticket machine. Video footage confirmed that Cline caused the damage. A marijuana joint was also found behind the counter.
- Michael St. Pierre, 26, of Mitchell, denied violating his probation. He is on probation for a third- or greater-offense domestic abuse simple assault charge. St. Pierre plans to apply for drug court and must complete an updated treatment needs assessment. He is scheduled to return to court in two weeks.
- Randy Mendel, 54, of Yankton, failed to appear in court on a grand theft charge involving property valued between $5,000 and $100,000. As a result, the court issued a $3,000 bench warrant for his arrest.
- Dustin Zephier, 29, of Mitchell, pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including driving under the influence, a Class 1 misdemeanor; driving with a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia, both Class 2 misdemeanors; and possession of methamphetamine, a Class 5 felony. A jury trial is scheduled for October.
- Jamie Bean, 55, of Mitchell, appeared in court for an extradition hearing. He is wanted in Georgia on nine felony charges. The court initiated the extradition process.
- Joshua Fisher, 41, of Merrifield, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to possession of psilocybin mushrooms, a Class 5 felony. He was given a suspended imposition of sentence and sentenced to two years of probation. Additionally, he was ordered to pay a $750 fine. As part of the plea agreement, several other charges were dismissed, including illegal lane change and possession of drug paraphernalia, both Class 2 misdemeanors; driving under the influence, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and possession and unauthorized ingestion of methamphetamine, both Class 5 felonies.
- Donald Shepard, 45, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse, a Class 4 felony. As part of a plea agreement, another count of child abuse and a charge of abuse or cruelty to a minor under 7 years old, a Class 3 felony, were dismissed. The court ordered a pre-sentencing report, and Shepard is scheduled to be sentenced in July. According to court documents, Shepard is accused of physically punishing children using a homemade paddle and a wooden dowel rod, causing visible bruising. The investigation began after a Child Protection case worker with the South Dakota Department of Social Services received a referral about the injuries. The report noted that two children in the care of another person had bruises on their buttocks, and all three children said Shepard caused the injuries by spanking them with the homemade paddle at his home. In late December, the three children were interviewed by Child’s Voice, a child advocacy center. They stated that Shepard had spanked them multiple times with various objects, including the homemade paddle and dowel rod, at both Shepard’s home and another residence.
- Courtney Stork, 45, of Mitchell, appeared in court on two separate sets of charges. In one case, he is facing charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class 2 misdemeanor; possession of two ounces or less of marijuana, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and possession of methamphetamine, a Class 5 felony. During a status hearing, Stork requested the removal of his court-appointed attorney and chose to represent himself. The court granted the withdrawal of counsel, and a jury trial for this case is scheduled for August. In a separate case involving newer charges, Stork pleaded not guilty to possession of Ambien, a Class 6 felony, and denied allegations of habitual offender status. A jury trial for this matter has been set for October. The court denied his request for a personal recognizance bond.
- Brandon Kendall, 24, of Mitchell, appeared in court for a status hearing related to a probation violation. He requested and was granted a personal recognizance bond. Due to new charges he is facing in Brookings County, his case has been continued to August.
- Twila Hislaw, 44, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to violating a conditional bond, a Class 1 misdemeanor. She was sentenced to 36 days in jail, with 30 days suspended and credit for six days already served. In addition, she was fined $350.
- Wanda Frederick, 31, of Mitchell, admitted to violating her probation, which she was serving for a second-degree escape conviction. As a result, her five-year prison sentence remains suspended, but her two-year probation period will restart. She also pleaded guilty to a sixth-offense simple assault, a Class 4 felony. For that charge, she was sentenced to 90 days in jail with all time suspended and fined $350.
- Cleveland Skunk, 33, of Mitchell, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine, a Class 5 felony. As part of a plea agreement, charges for possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class 2 misdemeanor, and possession of two ounces or less of marijuana, a Class 1 misdemeanor, were dismissed. He also appeared in court for a probation violation related to a domestic abuse simple assault conviction, for which he is currently on probation. For the violation, Skunk was sentenced to four additional years of probation. In connection with the meth possession charge, he is in the process of applying for drug court. He was sentenced to five years in prison, with all time suspended, and fined $750.
Jennifer Leither joined the Mitchell Republic in April 2024. She was raised in Sioux Falls, S.D. where she attended Lincoln High School. She continued her education at South Dakota State University, graduating in December 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. During her time in college, Leither worked as a reporter for the campus newpaper, The Collegian. She also interned for Anderson Publications in Canistota, SD the summer of 2000. Upon graduation, Leither continued to reside in the Sioux Falls area and worked as a freelance writer for the Argus Leader for a number of years.
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