By John Howell
Jury selection began Monday in Second District Panola County Circuit Court for the trial of Jeremy Delain Mayer, 32, indicted for statutory rape and gratification of lust. Circuit Judge Gerald Chatham is presiding.
A Panola County grand jury indicted Mayer in April, 2015 for sexual activity alleged to have occurred in December, 2014 with a victim under the age of 14.
The trial of John David Hollingsworth, 5394 Dummyline Road, Batesville, on four counts of gratification of lust stemming from incidents alleged in December, 2013 is expected to be continued.
A Panola County grand jury indicted Hollingsworth for the alleged incidents involving four victims on the same day, each described in court documents as “a child under age 16.”
Hollingworth’s trial was continued in May, 2015 until the following September. At the September, 2015 trial date, it was continued again “to allow additional time to prepare,” court documents state.
Plea day last Thursday
During a plea day before Circuit Judge Jimmy McClure Thursday, June 16, Amanda Frances McCoy, age 32, 412 Thacker Loop, Oxford, entered an open plea of guilty to one count of the burglary of an auto.
McCoy was represented by attorney David Walker.
She received a sentence of seven years, which were suspended, with three years of supervised probation.
Keri Letron Saffold, age 22, 107 Central Street, Batesville was sentenced to one year of house arrest followed by four years of post-release supervision after pleading guilty to a third offense of driving under the influence. Following the one-year house arrest, Saffold will enter drug court, court documents stated.
Saffold was also represented by Walker.
Judge McClure gave Tommie DeWayne Robertson additional time to hire an attorney to represent him for alleged violation of post-release supervision. Robertson, also known as “Tom Cat,” according to the circuit court file, was indicted in 2005 along with three other people for strong-arm robbery, conspiracy and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Martin murder
A defendant in the high-profile murder of Glen Martin will be arraigned Wednesday, July 6, her attorney said.
Attorney David Walker said that Cheyenne Turnage will be arraigned in Sardis on capital murder charges stemming from Martin’s brutal murder on April 20. Turnage was arrested along with Justin Hall after Martin was attacked with a machete in the yard of his home of Farrish Gravel Road. Smith is also charged with capital murder.
A third person, Kenneth Michael Smith, was charged with accessory after the fact of Martin’s murder.