A first appearance in Morgan County Court for a Springfield man arrested overnight on drug charges took a bit of a violent turn this afternoon.
52 year old Orville Adams of Springfield was arrested by Jacksonville Police at approximately 11:30PM last night and booked into the Morgan County Jail for possession of methamphetamine between 100 and 400 grams and driving on a suspended or revoked license.
Adams was brought before Morgan County Judge Chris Reif this afternoon to hear the two-part criminal information filed on his arrest as well as to hear information on Adams’ appointment of counsel.
Adams requested a public defender for his case. Judge Reif then asked Adams if he currently had any money in personal accounts to post bond or pay for private counsel. Adams explained he was unemployed but had “a few thousand dollars” in a bank account. Adams further explained he had recently come into an inheritance from a deceased family member and was attempting to sell a house.
Morgan County State’s Attorney Gray Noll then explained that Adams was on federal parole. Adams was recently released from federal prison after he plead guilty in 2006 in the Central District Court of Illinois to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Adams was arrested in Quincy in June 2005 by the Illinois State Police Drug Task Force and members of the West Central Illinois Drug Task Force after he was found with 14 grams of methamphetamine in a residence. Adams was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison along with 6 years of mandatory supervised release.
Reif ordered Adams to fill out an affidavit to explain his application for a public defender declaring indigence. Reif then remanded Adams back into the custody of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office in lieu of $100,000 bond with 10% to apply.
As Adams was being led away, a distraught woman who had been listening to the court hearing attempted to speak to Adams as he was being lead away by bailiffs to the courtroom’s adjoining jury room. Adams shouted to the female subject to “stop my money” and began resisting the bailiffs. At that time, Morgan County Public Defender ushered the woman out of the courtroom while the bailiffs and Adams wrestled in the foyer of the jury room. At one point, a taser was drawn but never used.
Adams’ case was recalled after bailiffs detained Adams and returned him to the Morgan County Jail. Judge Reif then raised Adams’ bond to $250,000 for his disruption in the court. Adams returns to Morgan County Court for a preliminary hearing on September 7th.