It will be a busy day in Indiana County Court today, with a number of cases coming before President Judge William Martin.
41-year-old Steven Melkonian of Marion Center is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, and indecent assault. While he is still listed for jury selection today, his attorney last week filed an omnibus pretrial motion and Judge Martin scheduled a hearing on that matter for this morning. Melkonian was charged last May with engaging in sexual activity with a young girl at a hotel in Allegheny County while on a trip with her and on another occasion at his home. He denies the accusation.
Judge Martin has scheduled jury selection for 25-year-old Christopher Yowler of Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Yowler is was originally charged with aggravated indecent assault forcible compulsion, indecent assault forcible compulsion, and criminal trespass. Charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and sexual assault were dismissed at district court. Yowler was an IUP criminology student at the time of the alleged assault of a woman at her apartment in the 1100 block of Philadelphia Street in July of last year.
Jury selection is scheduled for 44-year-old Carlos Harris of Pittsburgh, who is charged with possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance or contraband by an inmate, and two other possession charges. State police were notified anonymously last August that Harris was dealing drugs at the Indiana County Jail. In September, two Indiana County Sheriff’s deputies took him to IRMC to determine if Harris was storing drugs inside his body, but nothing was found. However, they reported finding two small plastic bags of cocaine underneath a seat of their vehicle after returning from the medical center.
A jury will be chosen today for the trial of 41-year-old Erik Castellano of Creekside, who is charged with aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats, and harassment for allegedly pointing a handgun at two representatives of Indiana County Children and Youth Services who had arrived at his home for a safety check in October of last year.
Judge Martin is also scheduled to sentence a 54-year-old David Christian Williams Jr. of Indiana today for a guilty plea to felony criminal use of a communications facility. As part of his plea deal, charged of possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy to the same offense will not be prosecuted.
