Several defendants pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencingwhile action against some other defendants is pending followingactivity this week in Lincoln County Circuit Court.

Eight defendants pleaded guilty to felonies. Most of those willbe sentenced next week, court officials said, while in other cases,trial dates were set or were continued.

“We didn’t have a heavy case load,” said Lesa Baker, publicdefender.

Colin Moyers, 22, of 320 Georgia Avenue, pleaded guilty tooperating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicatingliquor charge.

Moyers was sentenced to five years and ordered to serve thefirst 365 days, with the last four on post release supervision. Hissentence was to run concurrently with probation revocation inanother case and he was to pay a $3,000 fine and be placed in atherapeutic community treatment program.

Assistant District Attorney Brandon Frazier was pleased to gettwo guilty pleas in fraud cases involving prescription drugs, whichhe said is among the fastest-growing drug problems.

“We’ve been having a good bit of prescription fraud cases comeout lately,” said Frazier, who attributed the cause to addiction tothe prescribed medications. “They want more and more and will doanything to get more.”

Jennifer Ann Nations, 40, and Stephen Webb, 20, both of 1362Union St. Ext., pleaded guilty to uttering forged prescriptions andconspiracy. Their sentencing is scheduled for Monday.

Other guilty pleas and charges include:

* Randy Smith, 19, of 1520 Falvey Road, Wesson – burglary of anautomobile.

* Stephanie Bryant, 29, of 304 Railroad St. – two counts ofgrand larceny.

* Louis Mercier, 38, of 929 Hunters Road, Bogue Chitto -operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicatingliquor.

* Edgar J. Green, 21, of 622 Zetus Road – unlawful possession ofmarijuana with intent to distribute.

Another defendant pleaded guilty to credit card fraud andforgery charges and is expected to be non-adjudicated. In thosecases, the judge does not accept the guilty plea and sets certainconditions for the defendant to meet in order for the person’srecord to be cleared.

In other recent activity, six defendants pleaded guilty tomisdemeanors. Five of those involved bad checks and one was asimple assault case.

In instances in which defendants have not pleaded guilty, theircases were either set for trial the week of March 15 or werecontinued until next week.

“We’re waiting on various things,” Baker said in discussing thecontinuances.

Baker said crime lab reports had not come back in some cases anddiscovery, in which the prosecution and the defense share caseinformation, was needing to be completed in some others. Also,Assistant District Attorney Diane Jones was out of town attending aprosecutors’ conference this week.

Court action is pending against:

* Tanya Johnson, 36, of 3498 Ruth Road, Ruth – three counts ofsexual battery.

* Cedrick Harris, 20, of 1006 Ole Brook Road – burglary of anautomobile and conspiracy.

* Darius Thrasher, 18, of 530 Rogers St. – two counts of sexualbattery and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

* John Howard, 39, of 1348 Hog Chain Road, Bogue Chitto -operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicatingliquor.

* Isaac Johnson, 32, of Houston, Texas – unlawful possession ofmarijuana with intent to distribute.

* Robert Warren, 43, of 1165 West Lincoln Dr. – unlawfultransfer of alprazolam into a correctional facility andconspiracy.

* Jamie Howard Reeves, 20, of 2243 Jackson-Liberty Road -unlawful transfer of a controlled substance into a correctionalfacility.

* Antonio Lash Walker, 26, of 2850 Old Highway 51, Wesson -unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

* Anita Lanissa Wilson, 25, of 447 East Cherokee St. – felonybad check.

* Adrian J. Brothern, 20, of 2608 Tulip Trail – unlawfulpossession of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy,unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

* Adrian Reed, 22, of 300 Marr St. – two indictments totalingthree counts of unlawful sale of marijuana and one count ofconspiracy.

* Kimble Crimmiel – 25, of 235 South Fourth St. – unlawful saleof cocaine.

* Milton Trass, 56, of 1394 Heuck’s Retreat Road – failure tosupport minor children.

* Marcus Weathersby, 22, of 699 Choctaw St. – unlawfulpossession of cocaine.

* Woodell Jackson, 46, of 805 Saints Trail – operating a motorvehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

* Willie Whaley, 51, of 534 South Rogers St. – unlawfulpossession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

* Joseph Keith Smith, 32, of 1075 Meduria Drive, Jackson -failure to support minor children.