Daniel Christopher Crocker, age 48, was recently given the chance at completing probation and drug court to avoid prison after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine.
Crocker admitted to possessing methamphetamine on Oct. 1, 2019, in Humboldt County and said that he had relapsed into drug use for over a year from being clean and sober for 13 years after dealing with personal issues.
“I realized that getting high wasn’t the way to deal with it, it wasn’t the way to handle it,” said Crocker. “Since December I have been clean and sober, doing what I gotta do, back to work.”
Crocker pleaded guilty to a category E felony possession of a controlled substance, a charge which carries a potential prison sentence maximum of four years and eligibility to be placed on probation.
Both Public Defender Matthew Stermitz and District Attorney Mike Macdonald made the recommendation that Crocker be given an opportunity to complete a term of probation with the requirement of participating in the 18-month Humboldt County Adult Drug Court program that provides resources and accountability for recovery.
Sixth Judicial District Court Judge Michael Montero sentenced Crocker to 12-34 months in prison with five days credit for time served.
The prison sentence was suspended and Crocker was placed on 36 months on probation that includes the drug court program, intensive supervision and digital media storage monitoring, along with not possessing/purchasing/consuming any alcohol or controlled substances.
Crocker was ordered to pay a $153 DNA collection and analysis fee, $25 administrative assessment fee, $60 forensic fee and $250 public defender fee.
If successful in probation and drug court, Crocker will avoid the underlying prison sentence.
In another case in the Sixth Judicial District Court on May 19, Kelvin Deshaun Littrell pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor charge of furnishing weapon, facsimile, intoxicant or controlled substance to a prisoner (in absentia, by his attorney Public Defender Matthew Stermitz) and was ordered to serve 30 days in jail and pay a $25 administrative assessment fee and $3 DNA collection fee.
