LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Two men accused of mailing a poisonous snake to a man upset over an allegedly faulty ATV are preparing to plead guilty to reduced charges.
The trial of Jerrod Castleman and his father, Pocahontas lawyer and former district judge Bob Castleman, was put on hold Monday. The two are charged with mailing a live copperhead to Albert Coy Staton in September 2002.
The Castlemans, who failed a random drug test last week, had initially intended to plead guilty Monday, but Bob Castleman still had traces of marijuana in his system, a federal probation officer said.
Rather than proceed only with Jerrod Castleman's guilty plea, prosecutors asked that the men appear in court together. U.S. District Judge George Howard Jr. scheduled a hearing for Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors and lawyers met with Howard as the trial was expected to resume Monday. Lawyers said the men were expected to admit mailing ``unmailable'' material, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, though under sentencing guidelines a term would likely be far shorter.
Last week, a man testified about how he helped the younger Castleman catch a live copperhead just days before Staton received one in the mail.
Earl Ray Brown, 28, testified that, in September 2002, Jerrod told him that Bob Castleman was ``willing to pay $150 for a live snake.'' Brown said he caught a rattlesnake first, but accidentally killed it.
Albert Staton testified previously that Jerrod Castleman had sold him a faulty four-wheeler and became belligerent when Staton and his wife asked him to pay for repairs. Staton said Jerrod Castleman threatened them and drove across their yard in his father's SUV.
The Castlemans were charged with making a threat by mail, in addition to the mailing ``nonmailable'' material charge. The elder Castleman also was charged with witness tampering.
Separate criminal and civil cases are pending against Albert Staton
for shooting at the SUV during the yard incident.
The trial of Jerrod Castleman and his father, Pocahontas lawyer and former district judge Bob Castleman, was put on hold Monday. The two are charged with mailing a live copperhead to Albert Coy Staton in September 2002.
The Castlemans, who failed a random drug test last week, had initially intended to plead guilty Monday, but Bob Castleman still had traces of marijuana in his system, a federal probation officer said.
Rather than proceed only with Jerrod Castleman's guilty plea, prosecutors asked that the men appear in court together. U.S. District Judge George Howard Jr. scheduled a hearing for Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors and lawyers met with Howard as the trial was expected to resume Monday. Lawyers said the men were expected to admit mailing ``unmailable'' material, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, though under sentencing guidelines a term would likely be far shorter.
Last week, a man testified about how he helped the younger Castleman catch a live copperhead just days before Staton received one in the mail.
Earl Ray Brown, 28, testified that, in September 2002, Jerrod told him that Bob Castleman was ``willing to pay $150 for a live snake.'' Brown said he caught a rattlesnake first, but accidentally killed it.
Albert Staton testified previously that Jerrod Castleman had sold him a faulty four-wheeler and became belligerent when Staton and his wife asked him to pay for repairs. Staton said Jerrod Castleman threatened them and drove across their yard in his father's SUV.
The Castlemans were charged with making a threat by mail, in addition to the mailing ``nonmailable'' material charge. The elder Castleman also was charged with witness tampering.
Separate criminal and civil cases are pending against Albert Staton
for shooting at the SUV during the yard incident.
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