By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
A case that was set to go back before a jury on Tuesday morning was instead settled on Monday, after the victim in the case and her family expressed reluctance to relive her trauma on a witness stand once again. Instead, the perpetrator in the case pleaded guilty to reduced charges that, with credit for time served, should see him released from jail within months.
Jonathan Justice has served nearly two years in jail already, since being arrested in February of 2024 on charges of sodomy and first-degree sexual assault of a victim under 12 years of age.
Justice was ultimately charged with two counts of first-degree sodomy, four counts of sexual abuse of a victim under twelve years of age, and two counts of incest by forcible compulsion of a victim under 18 years of age.
Justice, however, found himself in what Judge Rebecca Phillips acknowledged was, “not a normal situation,” when a previous jury only reached a partial verdict in his case. That previous jury found Justice not guilty on the two counts of sodomy and the two counts of incest. However, they did not reach a verdict on the charges of first-degree sexual abuse of a victim under 12 years of age. The Commonwealth chose to go forward with pursuing those four counts.
The victim in the case, however, said she wished to end the process rather than relive her trauma on the witness stand once again, leading to a plea deal with reduced charges. Instead of being charged with sexual abuse, Justice pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful transaction with a minor, a Class D Felony carrying a two-year sentence. Judge Phillips accepted the plea, and sentenced Justice to two years on each count, to run concurrently and with credit for time served. In addition, Justice was ordered to have no contact with the victim.
Reading a statement from the victim, an advocate for the victim spoke about the trauma inflicted on her, and how the smell of the body spray Justice used – a common brand which is popular among some of her classmates – would cause her anxiety as trigger memories of the incident while simply trying to navigate the hallways of her school. She also noted how she struggled to sleep at night, and wrestled with feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide.
The mother of the victim acknowledged that she understood the sentence gave Justice credit for time served and didn’t require registration as a sex offender. She noted that her daughter was uneasy about going through the trial process yet again, and while Justice had stated he felt he was treated unfairly, “his 600 days in jail doesn’t approach” what her daughter has endured. The mother of the victim said she was doing this “solely for her daughter.”
Judge Phillips said she wouldn’t normally accept a plea deal after a trial date had been set, however she did in this case because the victim requested it. While she said she was “sorry” Justice felt he “was treated unfairly,” the defendant had another jury trial set, but chose to accept the deal.
“It’s not an Alford plea,” Phillips added, meaning Justice was acknowledging his guilt.
In other action on Monday Phillips reset Timothy Barber for pretrial on January 5 on charges including two counts of first-degree rape, two counts of sodomy first-degree, two counts of procuring or promoting the use of a minor by electronic means, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and two counts of incest of a person under 18. The judge also set another pretrial in the rape case against Earnest Hale, with the defense waiting to review the evidence of a rape kit and other medical records, as well as phone evidence.
Phillips also accepted an Alford plea of guilty from Billy Eldridge on charges of trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, and third-degree possession of a controlled substance, sentencing him to seven years.
Phillips also reset several cases for further pretrial, excusing absences due to inclement weather; however, bench warrants were issued for some defendants who the judge said have not made attempts to show.
The Carter County Times maintains a policy of respecting the privacy and anonymity of minor victims and their families.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
