By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Maverick Pifer plead guilty to one misdemeanor charge of unlawful restraint on September 10th. The plea was part of a deal that when entered in court before Judge Courrier, saw all felony charges dismissed in his case. The charge according to Tucker County Prosecuting Attorney Savannah Hull Wilkins stemmed from the defendant not allowing the victim to leave. The plea agreement was in conjunction with a civil case, Wilkins said.
During the hearing, Wilkins said Pifer originally had two felony charges from a case involving a four year old victim. Wilkins asked for a year in jail served as home confinement and said the plea was in conjunction with a civil case.
Wilkins further said that on July 30, 2023, the four year old returned home from a weekend visit with what was described as substantial bruising on the bottom and the mother discovering the injury. Wilkins went on the describe the incidents surrounding the injury, including an incident of strangulation. “He used his hand to smack her on the butt,” Wilkins said.
Pifer appeared along side of his attorney Brent Easton. Easton agreed that what Wilkins said was what the allegations of the case outlined. Easton said that the strangulation in the case was denied by his client. “It is what is alleged,” Easton said. “Strangulation has been denied.”
Easton said that the child was made to return to her room. ”The child was returned to her room and made to stay there,” Easton said.
Easton asked the Court for a pre-sentence report and the ability to ask for alternative sentencing in the case.
Judge Courrier accepted the plea after explaining to Pifer his rights, as well as the trial and appeals process he was waiving by entering a guilty plea. Pifer was sworn in during the proceedings.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered and sentencing has been scheduled for mid October in the case.