From Decatur County Prosecutor Nathan Harter
Dale Perkins Jr. was sentenced on October 27 in the Decatur Superior Court before Judge Matthew Bailey. Perkins was alleged to have violated his probation and home detention in two different Level 5 Felony cases, for which he had received an original total sentence of roughly 13 years.
Perkins invoked his right to have a factfinding hearing, at which the State, represented by Prosecuting Attorney Nathan W. Harter IV, called four witnesses and entered video and documentary evidence regarding the violations.
Those violations included failed drug screens, failure to submit to drug screens, unauthorized movements while on GPS tracking, and committing a new crime.
Judge Bailey found Perkins to be in violation of his home detention and probation conditions and sentenced him to 10 of the original 13 years in prison.
Decatur County Prosecuting Attorney Nate Harter wants to recognize the team of public safety officials involved in these cases, including Director of Court Services Abby Harry, Case Managers Dustin Barkdull and Mike Woodhull, Field Officer Mike Burnett, Sheriff’s Deputy Pat Richards, and Prosecutor’s Investigator Pete Tressler, as well as Deputy Prosecutor Brian Clark.
Said Harter, “When offenders are put on probation or home detention, they are avoiding jail or prison. In return for that gift, we as a community have the right to expect them to follow the law and the conditions of their supervision.
We must hold them accountable when they fail, or else we condemn them to follow their old, broken ways.”
