Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Trial set for January
DAVENPORT — A man accused of possessing a large quantity of methamphetamine and other controlled substances with intent to distribute appeared in Lincoln County Superior Court Tuesday, Dec. 16, where a trial date and readiness hearing were discussed.
David Randall Priest, 57, requested a new trial date of Feb. 4, while prosecutors and Superior Court Judge Adam Walser discussed the upcoming speedy trial deadline.
Walser stressed the importance of the date, warning Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Bruce Cox that failure to meet the deadline could result in dismissal.
The court ultimately set trial for Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 9 a.m., with a readiness hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 23 at 10:30 a.m.
A motion hearing is set for Tuesday, Jan. 13. Cox said the trial is expected to last two days.
The charges stem from a traffic stop on Oct. 4.
According to court documents, Lincoln County deputies reported observing a 2017 Jeep Renegade traveling erratically on State Route 2, partially in oncoming lanes. When deputies attempted to make contact, the vehicle struck a patrol car. Priest was arrested after deputies observed slurred speech and suspected intoxication.
During a search of the Jeep, deputies found a Ziploc bag containing a white crystal-like substance, later suspected to be methamphetamine, along with additional suspected narcotics, drug packaging materials, digital scales, and multiple glass smoking devices, records show. Washington State Patrol responded to investigate the collision and DUI. The vehicle was seized, and a search warrant executed on Oct. 5 confirmed large amounts of suspected methamphetamine and other substances.
Based on the evidence, court documents also note items consistent with distribution, including unused Ziploc bags and drug paraphernalia.
Olivia Harnack is the award-winning managing editor/photographer/videographer/columnist at the Lincoln County Record-Times, with offices in both Davenport and Odessa, Wash. She is a University of Idaho graduate and a U.S. Army National Guardsman.
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