Court finds Blaine violated bond; remanded to custody for five days
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss ordered that former Greenfield area pastor Jim Blaine be remanded to custody for violating bond.
The Highland County Prosecutor's Office requested a hearing Wednesday after receiving reports that Blaine had been seen in the Washington C.H. area without specified permission from the Highland County Probation Department.
Blaine faces a 17-count indictment on charges he allegedly stole more than $100,000 from the Good Shepherd Church in Greenfield, where he formerly was a pastor.
In a bond hearing on May 10, Coss lowered Blaine's bond from $100,000 to $25,000, on the conditions that he pay $93 in court fees, and that he surrender his passport before he is released from custody. He was ordered to have no contact with members of the Good Shepherd Church except for family members, and that he will be under pretrial supervision. Blaine was allowed to go to the grocery store and to the bank, to doctor appointments within a 65-mile radius from his home in Greenfield, and to visit his attorney.
Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey alleged that Blaine has been attending church in Washington C.H., been out to dinner with Good Shepherd Church members, and seen riding in a car around Greenfield.
Blaine's attorney, Marc Ross, of Dayton, said that the church members Blaine has been seen with were former Good Shepherd Church members, and his parents. Ross said that Blaine had chosen to go to church in Washington C.H. because he felt that there would be less of a chance of running into a Good Shepherd Church member.
Blaine said he cleared the trips to Washington C.H. with his felony pretrial supervising officer, Gary Breeden of the Highland County Probation Department.
Breeden told the court May 19 that Blaine had asked about going to church and about the no contact with church members. Since it was not allowed in the court order, Breeden said, he told Blaine that would have to go through the court.
"I was told to call when I left the house each time and call when I got back," Blaine told the court. "The three times I've left home I've done that."
"I don't believe in begging for forgiveness instead of asking for permission," Coss said. "It is real important for you to understand you are not leading a normal life right now. You wanted to be out of jail, I set a reasonable bond, and you paid it. But I set it with conditions ... When I issue an order it is not a request, it is not a suggestion, it is not a recommendation. It's an order. And I require absolute obedience to my orders."
Coss said he most likely would have granted a request for Blaine to go to church, but it was not requested at the bond hearing.
Coss gave Blaine a choice of either paying for an electric monitoring device, or to spend five days in jail. Blaine conferred with Ross, and after a few moments Ross told the court that Blaine could not afford the electric monitoring. Coss ordered that Blaine be remanded to the custody of the Highland County Sheriff's Office.
Ross, Grandey and Coss further discussed the specifics of Blaine's pretrial release, and it was ordered that Blaine would be allowed to visit a pharmacy, get an occasional haircut, and go to church. Blaine is not allowed to have contact with current Good Shepherd Church members.
Coss clarified that Blaine was allowed to go to and from the specified locations, and was not permitted to stop along the way, or to attend any form of social event.
Blaine was taken into custody immediately following the hearing.
The indictment Blaine faces involves 13 counts of forgery, each a felony of the fifth degree; one count of unauthorized use of property, a felony of the fourth degree; one count of forgery, a felony of the third degree, and two counts of aggravated theft, each a felony of the third degree.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss ordered that former Greenfield area pastor Jim Blaine be remanded to custody for violating bond.
The Highland County Prosecutor's Office requested a hearing Wednesday after receiving reports that Blaine had been seen in the Washington C.H. area without specified permission from the Highland County Probation Department.
Blaine faces a 17-count indictment on charges he allegedly stole more than $100,000 from the Good Shepherd Church in Greenfield, where he formerly was a pastor.
In a bond hearing on May 10, Coss lowered Blaine's bond from $100,000 to $25,000, on the conditions that he pay $93 in court fees, and that he surrender his passport before he is released from custody. He was ordered to have no contact with members of the Good Shepherd Church except for family members, and that he will be under pretrial supervision. Blaine was allowed to go to the grocery store and to the bank, to doctor appointments within a 65-mile radius from his home in Greenfield, and to visit his attorney.
Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey alleged that Blaine has been attending church in Washington C.H., been out to dinner with Good Shepherd Church members, and seen riding in a car around Greenfield.
Blaine's attorney, Marc Ross, of Dayton, said that the church members Blaine has been seen with were former Good Shepherd Church members, and his parents. Ross said that Blaine had chosen to go to church in Washington C.H. because he felt that there would be less of a chance of running into a Good Shepherd Church member.
Blaine said he cleared the trips to Washington C.H. with his felony pretrial supervising officer, Gary Breeden of the Highland County Probation Department.
Breeden told the court May 19 that Blaine had asked about going to church and about the no contact with church members. Since it was not allowed in the court order, Breeden said, he told Blaine that would have to go through the court.
"I was told to call when I left the house each time and call when I got back," Blaine told the court. "The three times I've left home I've done that."
"I don't believe in begging for forgiveness instead of asking for permission," Coss said. "It is real important for you to understand you are not leading a normal life right now. You wanted to be out of jail, I set a reasonable bond, and you paid it. But I set it with conditions ... When I issue an order it is not a request, it is not a suggestion, it is not a recommendation. It's an order. And I require absolute obedience to my orders."
Coss said he most likely would have granted a request for Blaine to go to church, but it was not requested at the bond hearing.
Coss gave Blaine a choice of either paying for an electric monitoring device, or to spend five days in jail. Blaine conferred with Ross, and after a few moments Ross told the court that Blaine could not afford the electric monitoring. Coss ordered that Blaine be remanded to the custody of the Highland County Sheriff's Office.
Ross, Grandey and Coss further discussed the specifics of Blaine's pretrial release, and it was ordered that Blaine would be allowed to visit a pharmacy, get an occasional haircut, and go to church. Blaine is not allowed to have contact with current Good Shepherd Church members.
Coss clarified that Blaine was allowed to go to and from the specified locations, and was not permitted to stop along the way, or to attend any form of social event.
Blaine was taken into custody immediately following the hearing.
The indictment Blaine faces involves 13 counts of forgery, each a felony of the fifth degree; one count of unauthorized use of property, a felony of the fourth degree; one count of forgery, a felony of the third degree, and two counts of aggravated theft, each a felony of the third degree.
[[In-content Ad]]