Fairbury Man Sentenced to Time Served for Missing Court

George W. Brinton, age 70, of Fairbury, was sentenced to time served in Jefferson County District Court on Thursday, March 7, 2024. David J.A. Bargen was the presiding judge.Brinton appeared in court in the custody of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and had served 102 days in jail.The defendant was originally charged with possession of methamphetamine, a class 4 felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.The case was originally investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol. On January 28, 2023, State Troopers attempted to locate Brinton in Fairbury due to two active warrants out of Lancaster County.According to the Arrest Affidavit, a trooper recognized Brinton leaving a residence and detained him, “While detained on the front porch of the residence, Brinton began removing items from his pockets and hand them to the other parties present in the residence.”Brinton was advised to hand the items to the trooper. The trooper indicated, “Brinton removed a small plastic baggie containing a white crystal substance from his front pants pocket.”Brinton then reportedly threw the baggie toward the door to the residence. This baggie landed on the ground in the doorway of the residence and was retrieved by a trooper, who identified the substance within as methamphetamine.The defendant was arrested at the scene. He was later released on a $10,000 (10 percent) bond. When he failed to appear for court, his bond was revoked and a warrant issued for his arrest.Brinton was represented by public defender Scott Gropp, who indicated at a hearing in October of 2023 that his client was often late for court and he estimated an average of 30 to 40 minutes. The defendant blamed this and missing his court date on memory lapses.The charge against Brinton was amended to failure to appear for court when out on bail, also a class 4 felony with the same potential punishment. Brinton pleaded guilty.Gropp said his client was concerned that he would miss appointments with probation due to the same memory lapses but he also did not want a long period of incarceration.Judge Bargen agreed the defendant was, “not a fit candidate for probation.”The judge therefore sentenced Brinton to 102 days in jail with credit for 102 days time served.

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