A Jacksonville man who was arrested in March for his involvement with methamphetamine manufacturing and a high speed chase is back behind bars.
Twenty-seven-year-old Dustin Mehrhoff of the 100 block of Howe was sentenced in Morgan County Court on May 4th to two years of drug court probation, concurrent with a 2014 felony, and ordered to pay $2,960 in fines. A 180-day jail sentence was stayed for review and the meth-manufacturing materials possession charge was dropped in the deal.
Nine days later Mehrhoff was arrested by Jacksonville Police for violating Morgan County Drug Court Probation.
The original story covering Mehrhoff’s sentencing, which was posted on our WLDS-WEAI News Facebook page, received a tremendous amount of feedback from the public, questioning the severity of the sentence.
Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll says drug court was the right choice for Mehrhoff.
“Drug court is an alternative court set up specifically for non-violent people that keep re-offending because of their drug addiction. When somebody is sentenced to drug court we don’t expect one-hundred percent compliance. We do expect somebody who is willing to attempt to change their life. When an individual doesn’t comply with the conditions of drug court probation, drug court has systems in place. Even if they have a minor offense or violation of their probation, they are put back in custody quickly and that situation is strictly dealt with,” says Noll.
Mehrhoff was in court Tuesday for a drug court hearing. Noll noted Mehrhoff expressed “a willingness to still be enrolled” and “regret for walking out of the treatment facility.”
According to Noll, Mehrhoff could serve four to fifteen years in the Illinois Department of Corrections if he fails to comply with the terms established through drug court.