William Seth Swetnam was given six years probation during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday after pleading guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia.
A cracked windshield and a quick change of drivers led to Swetnam’s arrest on September 14th. According to the probable cause affidavit, an Arkansas State Police Trooper saw the car with the cracked windshield while on stationary patrol at the intersection of State Highways 5 and 126.
He reported that a male was driving the vehicle with a single female as a passenger when he first spotted it. The car turned into the triangle Citgo station and parked. As the vehicle pulled out of the parking lot, the trooper conducted a traffic stop and saw the female had switched places and was now driving.
When he made contact with the occupants, he asked the female why she had switched places with the male behind the wheel and was told that the male — later identified as the 29-year-old Swetnam — had a suspended license because of driving while intoxicated charges.
Both Swetnam and the female were reported to be on parole at the time.
The trooper reported finding various items of drug paraphernalia, including syringes and a set of digital scales. In the probable cause affidavit, Swetnam is alleged to have told the trooper the items belonged to him.
Swetman was given prison time in late January 2016 on charges of second-degree battery. According to court records in that case, the charges stemmed from an incident in early October 2015 in which Swetnam attacked a 49-year-old woman who had allowed him to stay in her home after he had been asked to leave his former residence.
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