A judge bound a Natrona County man over for trial who was arrested two weeks ago for felony possession of marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Steven Brown also agreed with a prosecutor during a preliminary hearing that there was probable cause that Jefferey Hallock, 58, possessed a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Hallock (court records differ whether his first name is spelled Jeffrey or Jefferey) was arrested after deputies executed a search warrant at a residence in the area of Quartz Circle off North Cole Creek Road near Evansville.

During the half-hour preliminary hearing, Assistant District Attorney Trevor Schenk called Sheriff's Deputy Cory Brooks to testify about the investigation.

Brooks said he had received information from a confidential informant that Hallock had substantial quantities of marijuana in his house, and obtained a search warrant.

On Friday morning, Nov. 3, Brooks said he stopped Hallock's partner as she was driving from the house and asked her about marijuana there. She initially denied it and then admitted it.

Brooks went to the house and met with Hallock and asked if there were any firearms inside. Hallock said he had a shotgun for his personal safety and showed Brooks where it was.

Brooks also said Hallock was convicted of second-degree murder in 1985 and convicted of a felony in 2005. Convictions of those crimes meant he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, he said.

Brooks and the other deputy began the search and found containers with 94 ounces of marijuana in bud form, liquid THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana), butter THC in plastic bags in a freezer, and cookies with THC, he said.

Hallock told him the marijuana was for his personal use for pain management.

They also found two digital scales and a small spiral notebook with pay/owe information about drugs, cash amounts, groceries and other items, he said.

Brooks read line items from the pay/owe sheet, which was challenged by Hallock's public defender Joseph Cole during cross-examination.

In arguing for the case to be turned over for trial, Schenk said the line items on the pay/owe sheet -- such as quantities like "one-quarter" -- and the amounts paid clearly referred to selling marijuana.

The evidence about the quantity of marijuana and the possession of the shotgun were undeniable, Schenk added.

In his closing argument, Cole agreed enough evidence existed to bind over the two counts about felony possession and the shotgun.

But he called the evidence for possession with intent to distribute "a little thin," and said the pay/owe sheet wasn't sufficient evidence.

Brown disagreed and bound Hallock over for trial.

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