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Smith pleads not guilty in Larson case
Anthony-Pointer-with-pub-de
Anthony Pointer, charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault and burglary, with public defender Kathleen Jennings. This was one of many cases on Monday. - photo by Ross Blair

The man facing vehicular homicide and other charges for the Dec. 10, 2006 death of Bryan County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Mike Larson pleaded not guilty during his arraignment hearing Monday in Bryan County Superior Court.

A trail date for the man, John Lynwood Smith, has not been set.

The homicide charged is based on evidence that Larson was responding to a call when his cruiser hit a car Smith allegedly left parked without lights on the side of Hwy. 280 at the Hwy. 204 intersection.

Larson was killed in the wreck.

Smith also is charged with reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, possession of marijuana and weaving.

Smith’s attorney, Keith Barber of Statesboro, declined comment.

The arraignment hearing for Tam Duc Le, who is charged with vehicular homicide for the deaths of Pembroke teens Laura Cobb, Heather Arthur and Melissa Arthur has been continued.

He was originally slated to be arraigned Monday. But Le’s attorney, Hugh McCullough, is a state court judge and was called to preside of a state case.

A new arraignment date for Le has not been set.

Other cases that were arraigned before Judge David Cavender on Monday.

- Not guilty pleas were entered by Marcos Hernandez, Salomon Ortiz and David Santana.

The three men entered court wearing shackles and have been locked up since they were arrested on Aug. 18 and charged with felony burglary for allegedly busting the window of the Zip N and stealing a case of Budweiser. An interpreter was brought in to communicate the plea.

- Thomas Todd, the 56-year-old man who escaped from the Bryan County Jail in February only to be arrested in Bulloch County while allegedly attempting to kidnap his estranged wife and her ex-husband, appeared for charges related to the escape.

Cavender ordered the new charges to run concurrent with the ones he is currently serving prison time for.

- A non-jury preliminary hearing for Richmond Hill resident Anthony Pointer was held for charges stemming from two alleged crimes in Richmond Hill: an armed robbery at Popeye’s on Hwy. 17 and also a home burglary.

RHPD Det. Dana Strickland testified that Pointer entered Popeye’s on Nov. 7, assaulted the manager on duty by hitting him in the head with his gun and left with "somewhere between $500-$700."

Det. Mike Albritton testified Pointer burglarized a home on Eagle’s Nest, in the Piercefield Forest subdivision on Nov. 5.

He said Pointer stole two TV’s, a laptop, a safe and numerous other items from the residence and that he has fingerprints and witnesses to corroborate this.

Cavender ruled there was sufficient evidence in both cases and set the following bonds: $10,000 for burglary, $25,000 for aggravated assault and $55,000 for armed robbery.

- Herbert Blige pleaded not guilty to counts of burglary, rape, aggravated sodomy and cruelty to children stemming from an incident that occurred June 11 in Richmond Hill.

- Christopher Marsh pleaded not guilty to all charges related to an incident on Dec. 28, 2006.

On that date, after being pulled over for no tail lights and expired registration, Marsh, who is under 21 with a suspended license, allegedly struck an officer with his vehicle and dragged him.

Marsh was also charged with open container.

- Clyde Waller pleaded not guilty to felony obstruction. The charges are stemming from an arrest on May 5 when he allegedly resisted arrest and kicked an officer during a traffic stop.

-James Cannon pleaded not guilty to charges of burglarizing a home and threatening to murder two people in Ellabell on Nov. 13, 2005.

- Dale Chester and Michael Kennedy pleaded not guilty to charges of taking property from two different people by holding guns to their heads in Richmond Hill on Oct. 9, 2006.

-U.S. Army soldier Timothy Sloan pleaded not guilty to charges of rape stemming from a Nov. 6 arrest.

-Tamara Jo Bennett pleaded not guilty to burglary charges stemming from a July 7 arrest at Harrison’s Tire in Richmond Hill.

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