03/22/13 Judge Robert O. Bowen of the Marshall Superior Court No. 1 sentenced Anthony Fields to the maximum sentence allowed under the law for manufacturing methamphetamine. A Marshall County jury deliberated a little over an hour on February 20 after hearing two days of testimony and found Fields guilty of Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Precursors with the intent to manufacture Methamphetamine, Maintaining a Common Nuisance, and Possession of Paraphernalia. As a Class B felony, the maximum sentence for manufacturing methamphetamine is 20 years in prison. After conducting a sentencing hearing at which Fields called three witnesses and testified himself, Bowen pronounced a sentence of 20 years in prison on the manufacturing charge, 3 years on the possession of methamphetamine, 3 years on the possession of precursors with the intent to manufacture, 3 years on the maintaining a common nuisance and 1 year on the possession of paraphernalia. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently. No part of the sentences were suspended.
The case started when officers from the Marshall County Probation Department conducted a home visit of Mr. Fields in the 16000 block of 14th Road, finding him with another probationer. Fields acted suspicious upon the arrival of the probation officers who were accompanied by two Indiana State Police officers. A call was then made to the Marshall County Drug Task Force Unit who came to the Fields’ residence and conducted a search. The State Police Meth Suppression Team was later called to the scene to catalogue items discovered.
Officers from the Indiana State Police, the Marshall County Police, and the Marshall County Probation Department assisted with the investigation. The State of Indiana was represented by Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney E. Nelson Chipman, Jr.. Fields was represented by Edward Ruiz.
one down, hundreds to go.
I congratulate law enforcement, Judge Robert Bowen, Prosecutor Chipman and the other departments on their efforts to rid the community of this problem. Let’s hope others get the message we are no longer going to tolerate meth in our neighborhoods.
It is a stiff sentence, but this guy has hurt untold numbers of people by creating this stuff that changes peoples lives fundamentally. Where I would argue in most cases of Meth users that it is a sickness (and I think it is) this is a completely different animal entirely. Some societies actually sentence people to death for this because of the impact it has on other people.
Let us hope people see this as an example of what would happen when you create this stuff and hopefully this subsides.