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Linton man wants speedy trial then doesn’t show up for the pretrial conference

A Linton man who asked for and was granted a speedy trial failed to show up for a conference last week before the trial set for September 1. He’s accused of battery on a family member that he was convicted of battering the year before. And now a third case has been filed against him, for allegedly violating an order protecting the victim.

Joshua Robert Gilbert

Joshua Robert Gilbert

Joshua Robert Gilbert, 35, Linton, was arrested by Deputy James Carpenter of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department last Thursday afternoon, August 13. Gilbert was booked in to the Greene County Jail at 1:42 p.m.

A warrant was issued for Gilbert’s arrest last Wednesday, August 12, after he failed to show up in Greene Circuit Court for a pre-trial conference. He was in custody the next day.

In that case, Gilbert was arrested in mid-May and charged with domestic battery where the defendant had been previously convicted of a battery against the same person, a Level 5 felony.

The alleged victim is a brother and Gilbert was convicted of battery against the same person the year before.

When Gilbert appeared before Judge Erik Allen for his initial hearing last May, a public defender was appointed to represent him, his bond was set at $10,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed, a protective order was served to him ordering him to have no contact with the alleged victim, and he requested a speedy trial. The court set a trial date for September 1 with a pre-trial conference set for August 12.

By early June, Gilbert had posted $1,000 and was released from jail.

So last Wednesday, August 12, the day of the conference, his public defender appeared but Gilbert was a no-show. The trial date was vacated and the warrant issued for his arrest.

But now Gilbert is facing yet another criminal charge. A new case was filed today, Monday, August 17, this time in Greene Superior Court.

GCSD Deputy Davis Aerne has been investigating another incident involving Gilbert and the same brother that is protected with the no-contact order.

Deputy Aerne reported that Gilbert went to the home of a family member earlier this month when the protected person was there, and started an argument.

In this new case, when it comes into court for an initial hearing on September 10, Gilbert will be formally charged with invasion of privacy in violation of a protective order, a Class A misdemeanor.

And in the earlier case, a new date for another pretrial conference has been set for late August.

Gilbert is currently being held without bond and the defense has filed a motion to set bond. A hearing on that issue is set for September 2.