In

what was supposed to be a full week of criminal

trials, jurors in Fayette County Superior Court

last week wound up hearing only a single case.

Grady

Michael Couch Sr. of Tyrone, facing two counts of

child molestation, was found guilty and received

a ten-year sentence, with seven to be served in

prison and three in a hospital. The two counts

were merged.

The

victim in the case was a 13-year-old girl. The

incidents took place between Sept. 7 and Dec. 25,

1998, when Couch was 42 years old.

Two

defendants facing trial last week elected to

plead guilty before their cases reached a jury.

Derrick

Brown, already serving a life sentence plus 60

years for a number of crimes, was charged with

aggravated assault and obstruction of an officer

in connection with two separate incidents last

year in the Fayette County Jail.

Brown

allegedly tried to elbow a detention officer

while being transported May 17, then severely

beat another inmate over the head with a

telephone three days later.

He

was convicted last year of kidnapping with bodily

injury, aggravated assault of a person over 65,

robbery by force and burglary, and was sentenced

to life plus 60 years in prison.

For

pleading guilty to the aggravated assault charge,

Brown got five years to be served consecutively

with his other sentences. For obstruction, he got

a concurrent five-year sentence, meaning he is

now serving life plus 65 years.

Charles

Eugene Evans pled guilty to criminal possession

of an explosive device, for his possession of a

Molotov cocktail at a Fayetteville residence in

January last year. He received five years

probation and a fine.

Everett

Jerome Tripodis, also known as Laderrick Glen,

saw his trial delayed. He faces a charge of theft

The

22-year-old College Park resident allegedly stole

a 1978 Chevrolet Caprice from a Fairburn woman in

August 1996 and was apprehended while in

possession of the car, police said.

He

could be tried in two weeks when the next trial

session begins, or perhaps in the fall, according

to a spokesperson for the district attorney's

office.

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