Harlan County Courthouse News

Compiled by Paul Lunsford.

Civil Lawsuits

• Midland Credit Management, Incorporation, vs. Marcus Kelly — credit card debt collection.

• CitiBank, N.A., vs. Christopher W. Massengale — credit card debt collection

• LVNV Funding, LLC, vs. Jimmy Whitaker — credit card debt collection.

• Discover Bank vs. Bill Nolan — credit card debt collection.

• LVNV Funding, LLC, vs. Patricia Gelner — contract dispute.

• Delani Capital, LLC, vs. Lisa Short — credit card debt collection.

• Avid Acceptance, LLC, vs. Glenn Bennett, et al. — seller plaintiff/goods (debt collection).

• OneMain Financial Group, LLC, vs. Roger L. Day — contract dispute.

• Miranda Jeffers vs Deric Jeffers — dissolution of marriage.

• Deloris Smith vs. Nilakath, Incorporation — premises liability.

• MPLI Capital Holdings, IV, vs. Jerry Blevins — contract dispute.

• Amanda Gooden vs. James Harvey Gooden, et al. — property rights.

• Haley M. Collett vs. Johnathan C. Collett — support.

• Harley L. Cooper vs. Michael B. Powers — support

• Laura L. Robinson vs. Richard D. Robinson — support.

• Danny Jones vs. Kimberly L. Burkhart — support.

• Natasha N. Dean vs. Justin L. Rowe — support.

• Caleb Joshua Jones vs. Brittany Paige Jones — dissolution of marriage.

• Denali Capital, LLC, vs. Andrew J. Risner — credit card debt collection.

• Denali Capital, LLC, vs. Betty Fee — credit card debt collection.

• Hometown Urgent Care, LLC, vs. Melora Neely — seller plaintiff/services.

• Brittany Wynn vs. Jacob Wynn — dissolution of marriage.

District Court

• Reggie Cottrell, 39, of Verda, failure to appear — (unsecured bond) jail time served.

• Lee Roy Helton, 78, of Loyall, fourth-degree assault (minor injury), first-degree strangulation, first-degree disorderly conduct, third-degree terroristic threatening — continued for arraignment.

• Shayla Harris, 22, of Harlan, failed to appear for hearing — jail time served.

• Bennie Elonzo Watkins, 53, operating a vehicle on suspended/revoked operators license — pleaded guilty and sentenced to 60 days in jail (probated 24 months). No further violations of law.

• Candes Early, 18, of Wallins, two counts of failure to appear, non-payment of court costs, fees or fines — bonded out of jail.

• Johnathon Wade Whitaker, 26, speeding (five miles per hour over the limit) — pleaded guilty, fined $138.

• Toby Alexander White, 39, speeding (12 miles per hour over the limit — failed to appear for hearing.

• Brent Edward Hammons, 23, of Harlan, non-payment of court costs, fees or fines — pay ($208) or stay. Released from jail.

• Jessica Kathleen Boggs, 41, failure to wear seat belt — pleaded guilty, fined $25.

• Kathy Brock, 34, operating a vehicle with one headlight, failure to wear seat belt, no operators/moped license, buy/possession of drug paraphernalia — bench warrant.

William Sargent, 48, speeding (10 miles per hour over the limit), failure to wear seat belt, operating a vehicle on suspended/revoked operator’s license — bench warrant.

• John Cox, 19, first-degree criminal mischief — bench warrant.

• Kristi Cottrell, 48, of Loyall, first-degree possession of a controlled substance first offense methamphetamine — waived to grand jury.

• Steven Couch, 55, fourth-degree assault (domestic violence with minor injury) — jury trial scheduled Nov. 5.

• Troy Gilbert, 52, of Evarts, failed to appear for hearing — jail time served.

• Mark Alan Richardson, 36, speeding (24 miles per hour over the limit) — amended to improper equipment, pleaded guilty, fined $143.

• Cody Aaron Thacker, 26, expired or no Kentucky registration receipt, failure of owner to maintain required insurance/security (first offense) — pleaded guilty, fined $733 ($450 suspended).

• Ricky David Thomas, 18, speeding (18 miles per hour over the limit) — bench warrant.

• Bill Tucker, speeding (15 miles per hour over the limit) — continued for arraignment Aug. 12.

• Robert B. Tackett, speeding (15 miles per hour over the limit) — continued for arraignment Aug. 12.

• Brent Curtis Raleigh, 33, speeding (five miles per hour over the limit) — dismissed at the request of law enforcement.

• McKayla Elaine Johnson, speeding (18 miles per hour over the limit) — continued for arraignment Aug. 12.

• Retha Osborne, 42, operating a vehicle on suspended/revoked operator’s license — pleaded guilty, sentenced to 30 days in jail (probated 24 months).

• Angie Marie Asher, 42, failure to produce insurance card, expired or no Kentucky registration receipt, expired or no registration plate, failure of owner to maintain required insurance/security (first offense) — first charge, pleaded guilty, fined $158; other charges, dismissed.

• Donnavon G. Mabelitini, 23, of Evarts, improper turning, possession of marijuana — pleaded not guilty, jury trial scheduled June 17, 2025.

• Natasha Brooke Hester, 42, of Evarts, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a substance, failure to notify address change to the department of transportation — jury trial scheduled Aug. 13.

• Whitney Gerhold, owner permitting vicious dog to run at large — pretrial conference scheduled Aug. 19.

• Heather Bush, 35, failure to wear seat belt — pleaded guilty, fined $158.

• Amanda Lee Brown, 40, failure to wear seat belt, two counts of failure to use child restraint device in a vehicle, too many passengers in front seat of vehicle — pleaded guilty, fined $278.

• Eric Griffey, 52, of Dayhoit, expired or no registration plate, expired or no Kentucky registration receipt, failure of owner to maintain required insurance/security (first offense), failure to produce insurance card, registration and title requirements: vehicle not to be operated on highway, license to be in possession — bench warrant.

• Christopher J. Hardy, 48, of Coalgood, speeding (five miles per hour over the limit), operating a vehicle on suspended/revoked operators license, failure to wear seat belt, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a substance (first offense) — pleaded not guilty, jury trial scheduled April 29.

• Amy Lynn Johnson, 47, speeding (18 miles per hour over the limit) — pleaded guilty, fined $169.

• Kendra Lynn Shoemaker, 33, failure to use child restraint device in a vehicle, failure to wear seat belt — bench warrant.

• Jeffery Lucas, 27, failure to wear seat belt — pleaded guilty, fined $25.

• Madison Lynn Halcomb, 20, failure to wear seat belt — pleaded guilty, fined $25.

• Tonya E. Nash, 48, speeding (10 miles per hour over the limit) — bench warrant/failed to appear for hearing.

• Travis James Owens, 40, speeding (10 miles per hour over the limit) — pleaded guilty, fined $153.

• Wesley Frey, 34, speeding (five miles per hour over the limit) — failed to appear for hearing.

• Cassandra Lynn Merida, 34, speeding (15 miles per hour over the limit) — pleaded guilty, fined $163.

• Quanikwa DeLauren Massey, 29, speeding (five miles per hour over the limit), failure to wear seat belt — pleaded guilty, fined $163.

• Donnavon G. Mabelitini, 23, of Evarts, possession of marijuana, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol (first offense), careless driving — pleaded not guilty, jury trial scheduled June 17.

• Henry Stewart, 33, of Evarts, careless driving, failure to wear seat belt, failure to produce insurance card, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol (first offense) — pleaded not guilty, jury trial scheduled June 17.

Elijah Tylin McLendon, 26, of Harlan, speeding (21 miles per hour over the limit), no operators/moped license — first charge, amended to speeding (10 miles per hour over the limit), other charge, amended to license to be in possession, pleaded guilty, fined $213 on both charges.

• Jeffery Carson Widner, 66, careless driving, disregarding traffic control device (traffic light) — first charge, pleaded guilty, fined $158; other charge, dismissed.

James Curt Lewis, 35, of Baxter, buy/possession of drug paraphernalia — pleaded guilty, sentenced to 30 days in jail (probated 24 months). No further violations of law.

• Joshua R. Baldwin, 29, violation of Kentucky E.P.O./D.V.O. — pleaded guilty, sentenced to 120 days in jail.

• Andrew D. Mills, 25, of Harlan, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a substance (first offense), license to be in possession, expired or no Kentucky registration receipt, improper equipment — pleaded not guilty, jury trial scheduled Sept. 30, 2025.

• Lanny R. Howard, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/substance (first offense), leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid or assistance — jury trial scheduled Aug. 13.

• China N. Caudill, 33, of Evarts, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, etc. (first offense), license to be in possession, improper equipment, failure to wear seat belt — pleaded not guilty, jury trial scheduled May 27.

• James G. Taylor III, 34, Norton, Va., operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a substance (first offense), buy/possession of drug paraphernalia, third-degree possession of a controlled substance (drug unspecified), failure to produce insurance card, improper parking violations — jury trial scheduled Aug. 13.

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