Jon Worthman appeared in Scotts Bluff County District Court last Tuesday and Wednesday to stand trial for the charge of possession of 10-27 grams of cocaine with intent to distribute, a class 1D felony.
Judge Richard Birch presided over the two-day bench trial, listening to the details of Worthman’s arrest on Jan. 8
On the first day of the trial, Worthman’s attorney Maren Chaloupka described Worthman as nothing more than an addict, noting the case for Worthman distributing cocaine is based solely on the testimony of one witness, the amount of cocaine Worthman requested and some text messages sent from Worthman’s phone in early 2019.
“If the state had charged Jon with possession of cocaine, we would plead guilty to it,” said Chaloupka. “But, that is not what the state is charging.”
The trial wrapped up on Wednesday afternoon. Judge Birch set a deadline of Nov. 25 for attorneys to submit written closing arguments, after which he will make a decision on the case.
The Alliance Times-Herald will have more exclusive details from Worthman’s trial in next week’s edition.