By MONROE ROARK
mroark@thecitizennews.com

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 by taking.

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.