GREENVILLE — A Union City, Ohio, man was granted early judicial release in Darke County Common Pleas Court on Monday. Judge Jonathan P. Hein presided.
David L. Hendrix, 56, entered a guilty plea to one count of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony back in March. Additional counts of aggravated possession of methamphetamine and possession of heroin were dismissed in a plea negotiation between Hendrix and the Darke County Prosecutor’s Office.
He was sentenced to 18-months in the Lebanon Correctional Institution in May with an early release request filed on July 15.
In an audio-visual conference between the courthouse and Lebanon, Hendrix stated he had learned his lesson and wanted to “do the right thing.”
“I understand my mistakes, and I won’t be doing anything like that again,” continued Hendrix. “You will never see my face again in your courtroom.”
According to Deborah Quigley, prosecuting attorney, this case was the fifth drug-related conviction for Hendrix. The current case, resulting in his incarceration, involved stowing away drugs in his possession.
However, the prosecutor was not against an early judicial release and recommended the MonDay program.
“To help him get better tools to deal with what is obviously a drug problem he has had for many years,” said Quigley.
In response, Hendrix noted attending Recovery and Wellness classes as well as Alcoholics Anonymous before his incarceration. Judge Hein questioned whether the defendant took those programs seriously or “if you want to integrate it into your lifestyle.”
The motion for early judicial release was granted with up to 60 months of community control sanctions, 100 hours of community service, and court costs. Failure to comply will result in the reinstatement of the remaining 13-month sentence.
