Photo: John Robert Bryant
A Mountain Home man who tried to run rather than face jail time after being found in contempt of court in early May appeared during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Monday.
Thirty-three-year-old John Robert Bryant pled guilty to charges in his initial theft case and to a count of fleeing on foot filed after his attempt to escape in May.
He was put on probation for four years and ordered to pay about $3,500 in victim restitution.
Bryant was charged with stealing merchandise from several area businesses in the early months of 2020.
During the investigation into the thefts, it was discovered Bryant had sold some of the allegedly stolen items to a local pawnshop the same day they were taken.
FLED ON FOOT
When he made the attempt to escape, Bryant was appearing before the court in the initial theft case.
When Circuit Judge John Putman inquired about the status of the case, then Deputy Public Defender Mark Cooper reported Bryant had never been in contact with him.
Judge Putman said the court had ordered Bryant to stay in touch with his attorney and his failure to do so put him in contempt of the court’s order.
Judge Putman first ordered Bryant jailed for 30 days, but later lowered the sentence to 10 days.
Bryant was remanded into the custody of the sheriff’s office to be taken to jail to begin serving his time on the contempt conviction.
When a deputy allowed Bryant to make a phone call to report to a family member that he was being locked up, Bryant decided to bolt and ran out of the court complex.
He was captured in a parking lot on the south side of the courts building and transported to jail.
Bryant was released after serving his time for contempt.
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