A husband and wife were charged Wednesday in Douglas County District Court with a sex crime and theft. Joshua Michael Williams, 35, and Michalia Danielle Williams, 25, have each been charged with one count of aggravated sodomy and one count of theft. The charges relate to an incident on March 6, when the two allegedly engaged in a nonconsensual sex act with the victim, according to charging documents from the ...
A former Lawrence police officer accused of raping a woman while on the job had his case moved to criminal mediation Tuesday. The ex-officer, Jonathan Mark Gardner, 41, Tonganoxie, was charged with raping a 19-year-old while giving her a ride home after she had been drinking in downtown Lawrence. He was also charged with multiple counts of felony tampering with law enforcement computers and official ...
A competency evaluation was ordered Tuesday for a man accused of murdering his significant other to determine whether he is fit to stand trial. Chad Joseph Marek, 27, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing Regan N. Gibbs, 25, on May 16 at their Lawrence apartment. Marek told a 911 dispatcher that God told him to kill her, according to police. Marek appeared Tuesday before Judge Stacey ...
A Lawrence man was ordered to stand trial after allegedly leading police on a high-speed car chase through snow-packed streets in downtown Lawrence in February. Steven Carl Drake II, 47, has been charged with felony flee and elude, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and three counts of criminal damage. He was bound over for trial Thursday by Judge Sally Pokorny after a preliminary hearing ...
The Lawrence area could receive up to 3 inches of rain Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The rain is expected to start after midnight with the heaviest rainfall coming around midday Tuesday, said Matt Flanagan with the National Weather Service in Topeka. The rain is expected to be steady but shouldn't be too severe, he said. “The chances for thunderstorms, in general, are pretty low. Not ...
Two people had their criminal charges dismissed Thursday in Douglas County after graduating from the Behavioral Health Court. The court, an alternative to the traditional court system, was launched in 2017 and is designed for defendants who struggle with mental health issues. Success in the program means defendants have their charges dismissed and can even have them expunged, Judge Sally Pokorny said. ...