Jury Sentences Odessa Man on Bath Salts to Prison and Probation for Shooting Man and Biting Police Officer
By: Big 2 News Staff
Updated: February 14, 2013
MIDLAND--- James Creech was found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a public servant on Wednesday.
These charges stem from an incident back in June 2012 where Creech took the drug, bath salts, shot a man and bit a police officer.
The jury gave Creech 15 years in prison for the shooting and sentenced him to probation for biting the officer.
Judge Elizabeth Leonard is now set to determine the probation sentencing on Friday morning.
Authorities say that the probation and jail time will run concurrently and Creech will only be eligible for parole after 7 years.
Creech must also pay $10,000 in fines and $3,800 in retribution for the victims.
This is one of the first trials in Midland County involving bath salts and prosecutors are saying that they expect this to be a growing problem across the Permian Basin.
"It's going to be a serious problem" says Assistant District Attorney, Timothy Flathers about bath salts and adds "it's a big problem to law enforcement right now and I expect it's only going to become a challenge in the future".
Flathers says that one of the problems with people taking bath salts is that they aren't always aware that it is illegal.
"We know it's in the community, we know that there are people that believe it's legal and safe" says Flathers "it may or may not be legal depending on what they get when they take or buy what they think are bath salts".
Flathers says that this is the first trial in Midland County involving bath salts that he is aware of, and he thinks that it will continue to be a problem in the future.
The trial is set to officially end some time on Friday and at that time Judge Elizabeth Leonard will approve the sentence and set the length of Creech's probation.
These charges stem from an incident back in June 2012 where Creech took the drug, bath salts, shot a man and bit a police officer.
The jury gave Creech 15 years in prison for the shooting and sentenced him to probation for biting the officer.
Judge Elizabeth Leonard is now set to determine the probation sentencing on Friday morning.
Authorities say that the probation and jail time will run concurrently and Creech will only be eligible for parole after 7 years.
Creech must also pay $10,000 in fines and $3,800 in retribution for the victims.
This is one of the first trials in Midland County involving bath salts and prosecutors are saying that they expect this to be a growing problem across the Permian Basin.
"It's going to be a serious problem" says Assistant District Attorney, Timothy Flathers about bath salts and adds "it's a big problem to law enforcement right now and I expect it's only going to become a challenge in the future".
Flathers says that one of the problems with people taking bath salts is that they aren't always aware that it is illegal.
"We know it's in the community, we know that there are people that believe it's legal and safe" says Flathers "it may or may not be legal depending on what they get when they take or buy what they think are bath salts".
Flathers says that this is the first trial in Midland County involving bath salts that he is aware of, and he thinks that it will continue to be a problem in the future.
The trial is set to officially end some time on Friday and at that time Judge Elizabeth Leonard will approve the sentence and set the length of Creech's probation.
