from Decatur County Prosecutor Nathan Harter
Kevin Hendershott was sentenced April 21st by Judge Tim Day in the Decatur Circuit Court. Hendershott pleaded guilty to Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 Felony and to being an Habitual Offender because of prior felony convictions. The parties entered a plea agreement to a total sentence of 16 years.
The parties agreed that seven of those years would be probation, and three years were agreed to be home detention. The remaining six years were to be contested and decided by Judge Day.
The State, represented by Prosecuting Attorney Nate Harter, argued that all six years should be placed in prison, because of Hendershott’s prior criminal history and because he was already agreeing to home detention and probation. “Mr. Hendershott already had secured a fair deal by reducing his total risk from 36 years to only 16 years. I did not feel I could agree to a sentence that would release him straight to home detention and probation without having to go to prison first, given the nature of the offense and the length of his history of breaking the law.”
Hendershott has prior felony convictions stretching back 15 years, including Burglary as a C Felony, Possession of Methamphetamine as a Level 6 Felony, Escape as a Level 6 Felony, Fraud as a Level 6 Felony, Resisting Law Enforcement as a Level 6 Felony, and another Possession of Methamphetamine as a Level 6 Felony.
Argument was heard on both sides, and ultimately Judge Day sentenced Hendershott to five of the six years in prison, with the sixth on home detention.
Decatur County Prosecuting Attorney Nate Harter wants to recognize former Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Blodgett for his hard work on this case.
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