Defendant Arrested for Taking Gun into Courthouse

A defendant scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on a state jail felony burglary charge was taken into custody at the courthouse's front door yesterday, when deputies observed a handgun stashed in the man's briefcase. The gun, it turns out, was also stolen.

Martin Eugene Shaw, 41, had been on pre-trial diversion since August 2013 for allegedly stealing nine pool balls, two two-way radios, a roll of string and reflective tape from Rockin' Rodeo on Sept. 7, 2012. Had he completed two years of probation, the charge would have been dismissed. Shaw violated his probation in December 2014, however and his case was put back on the docket. Tuesday's hearing would have been one of his last before the case was scheduled to go to trial on June 15.

When he entered the courthouse, Shaw placed his briefcase on the conveyer belt to be x-rayed, at which point deputies working the security station noticed the weapon on the screen. The weapon was a .22 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver with a six-inch barrel. The gun was also reported stolen in Arizona in 2005. Shaw is from Arizona, however he alleged to have not known the gun was in the briefcase.

Shaw is not a felon yet, but is facing a third-degree felony charge for carrying the gun in a place where weapons are prohibited. If convicted, he could face two to 10 years in prison and an optional $10k fine. He is also facing 180 days to two years for the burglary.

Shaw is being represented by criminal defense attorney John Young.

In addition to Shaw, 26 others were jailed on Tuesday, including 11 booked on offenses alleged to have been committed that day. Of those, two persons apiece were jailed for public intoxication, assault and theft, while one person each was jailed for terroristic threats, fleeing from an officer and DWI.