Baker County Felony Court

Baker County Felony Court

By LYNSIE BREAUX 

Judge Phyllis Rosier had a reasonably light docket Monday for felony court but the plea-bargained sentences that were handed out will result in people spending a good bit of time in prison.

Richard James Youst, 49, will be spending the next 12 years in prison.

He was arrested in May of 2007 and charged with three counts of sexual battery on a child less than 16 years old and four counts of lewd and lascivious assault on a child less than 16 years old. He has been in jail since his arrest.

As part of the plea agreement, Youst pled guilty to one count of sexual battery and one count of lewd assault.

He received 12 years on the sexual battery charge. That sentence will be followed by eight years of sexual offender probation once he is released from prison.

According to several people in the courthouse, sexual offender probation is far more restrictive than regular probation. It includes registration as a sex offender and prohibits the offender from having contact with children and living within a certain distance of schools, playgrounds and other 

Buddy Duane Champion Jr.,

areas where children congregate.

Buddy Duane Champion Jr., 18, will be a resident of the Florida Department of Corrections for the next 52 months after violating his probation.

Champion had been sentenced to two years community control on charges of attempted burglary and burglary of a dwelling.

He received credit for 105 days served after a failure to appear capius was issued after he didn't appear at an April court date.

Arnold McKinley Broughman III, 45, pled guilty to one count of felony battery and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Baker County Clerk records show that he was arrested in 2005 on charges of misdemeanor assault.

Two other people will also be returning to jail based on failure to appear for court.

Jody Latrial Griffis, was scheduled for case management on a single charge of grand theft. Had Griffis appeared in court the case would have simply been continued. However, as Griffis failed to appear, bond was revoked and an arrest warrant was issued.

Tosha Renae Gabhart was scheduled to accept pre-trial intervention on a single charge of possession of a controlled substance with special circumstances. After failing to appear to have the case finalized, bond was revoked and an arrest warrant was issued.