Dubois County Prosecutor's Office

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Weekly update, this time for two cases held in Dubois Superior Court this week. Johnthan R. Rottet, 37, St. Anthony, app...
06/11/2026

Weekly update, this time for two cases held in Dubois Superior Court this week.

Johnthan R. Rottet, 37, St. Anthony, appeared before Judge Anthony Quinn for an open sentencing hearing on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Mr. Rottet previously entered an open guilty plea to the charges of Neglect of a Dependent (a Level 6 felony) and Possession of Ma*****na (a Class B misdemeanor).

After hearing evidence and arguments from both parties, Judge Quinn ultimately sentenced Mr. Rottet to a total of 365 days at the Dubois County Security Center.

Kyle D. Schepers, 36, English, also appeared before Judge Quinn on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, and entered into a plea agreement. Under the agreement, Mr. Schepers pled guilty to the following counts: 1) Operating a Vehicle as a Habitual Traffic Violator (a Level 6 felony); 2) Intimidation (a Level 6 felony); 3) Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (a Level 6 felony); and 4) Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon (a Level 4 felony).

The sentence shall be left to the discretion of Judge Quinn, but any sentence imposed by the Court shall not exceed 6 years in prison at the Indiana Department of Correction. Mr. Schepers is set to appear before Judge Quinn for sentencing on July 7, 2026, at 9:00 A.M.

*All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Court Process Explained (Post 5) How do plea agreements work? This is probably the area where there are the most mis...
06/11/2026

The Court Process Explained (Post 5)

How do plea agreements work?

This is probably the area where there are the most misconceptions about how the judicial system works. Plea agreements are negotiated for a variety of reasons.

First and most importantly, plea agreements provide certainty for everyone involved. The Defendant knows what to expect as far as his sentence goes. The State (and the victims in the case) also know what to expect. Also important to both the State and the victims in the case, if someone is sentenced pursuant to a plea agreement, a Judge cannot later modify that agreement without the consent of the prosecutor’s office. This often gives victims certainty and closure.

Should a case go to trial, there are no guarantees. A defendant may or may not be found guilty. The Judge may or may not sentence that person to time in jail. Even if the person gets a sentence that is satisfactory to the victims up front, the court has the authority to later modify that sentence. Also, a guilty verdict after a trial could get overturned after an appeal.

Sometimes, victims are not mentally up to testifying and they just want the case to be over. Having to testify at a trial in front of a criminal defendant can be traumatizing to a victim, because they effectively have to relive what happened to them in a room full of strangers.

All of these factors are considered when determining what plea offer to make to a criminal defendant.

Sometimes, if the defendant wants to plead guilty but the parties can’t reach an agreement as to the appropriate sentence, they will enter into what’s called an “open plea agreement.” Basically, the Defendant agrees to plead guilty to certain counts (with the state dismissing others), and the sentence will be left to the discretion of the Judge.

Another alternative is that sometimes the parties enter into what’s called a “cap plea agreement.” Basically, this means that the sentence will be left to the discretion of the Judge, but it will not exceed a certain number of years.

The most common misconception about plea agreements that I’ve repeatedly heard in my career: “I get three plea agreements, and they will progressively get better as the case progresses.” WRONG. This could not be further from the truth. I have no idea where this rumor comes from, but it is not true. It is true that the parties may negotiate further after the first plea agreement, so that the terms may become more favorable to the Defendant, but they also could become less favorable as the case goes on. If someone gets rearrested while they are out on bond, their plea offers are likely going to get worse.

Here’s a key fact to remember about plea agreements, though: the Prosecutor’s Office only has success with offering plea agreements if the Defendants are open to accepting them. The culture of the court, which is set by the Judge, is a big factor in the plea agreements that are offered in a particular court.

All of these factors are taken into consideration by the Prosecutor’s Office when making plea offers to Defendants.

Weekly update time again! An update on two cases heard in Dubois Circuit Court last week. Kevin D. Payne, 61, Huntingbu...
06/08/2026

Weekly update time again! An update on two cases heard in Dubois Circuit Court last week.

Kevin D. Payne, 61, Huntingburg, entered a last-minute plea agreement right before a previously scheduled jury trial on June 3, 2026. Under the agreement, Mr. Payne entered a plea of guilty to Battery Against a Public Safety Official (a Level 6 felony), Resisting Law Enforcement (a Class A misdemeanor), and Battery (a Class B misdemeanor). As part of the agreement, Mr. Payne also admitted to being a habitual offender. In total, Mr. Payne will serve 4.5 years in prison at the Indiana Department of Correction, with credit for time he previously served in jail since January 2026. Mr. Payne is set for sentencing pursuant to this agreement on June 24, 2026, at 1:00 P.M.

On June 4, 2026, the Jasper Police Department received a report of an alleged protective order violation involving Avery Atkins, 21, Winslow. Law enforcement attempted to track down Mr. Atkins and eventually located him at Harbor Freight in Jasper with the help of Dubois County Community Corrections. Mr. Atkins is alleged to have cut off his ankle monitor inside the women’s restroom at Harbor Freight. Mr. Atkins was booked into the Dubois County Security Center.

On June 5, 2026, Mr. Atkins appeared before Judge Verkamp, where it was ordered that he be held without bond on his two cases in which he is currently serving a sentence. Mr. Atkins was given a $10,000 cash only bond on his new matter for the charges of Escape (a Level 6 felony) and Invasion of Privacy (a Level 6 felony).

*All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Court Process Explained (Post 4) How are criminal cases resolved?Criminal cases get resolved in one of three ways: 1...
06/05/2026

The Court Process Explained (Post 4)

How are criminal cases resolved?

Criminal cases get resolved in one of three ways:

1) The case gets set for a bench or jury trial. In a bench trial, the Judge decides your guilt or innocence. In a jury trial, the jury decides.

2) The defendant (or their attorney) and the prosecutor’s office negotiate and come up with a plea agreement that both parties feel is a fair resolution. This plea agreement still must be accepted by the Judge in the court where the defendant is charged.

3) The defendant decides to enter an open guilty plea to the court. This basically means that the parties have no agreement in advance, and it will be up to the Judge in the court where the charges are filed to determine the sentence.

The Court Process Explained (Post 3) What happens between the Initial Hearing and the Resolution of a criminal case? Acc...
06/02/2026

The Court Process Explained (Post 3)

What happens between the Initial Hearing and the Resolution of a criminal case?

According to Dubois County local Court rules, within 40 days of the Initial Hearing, the Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office is required to provide what’s called “discovery” to the Defendant (or his attorney, if represented). Discovery is basically all the information that law enforcement has related to the case – the police report, witness statements, body camera footage, surveillance footage, photographs, etc.

This way, the Defendant has the opportunity to see what evidence the State has as a basis for the criminal charges that he’s facing.
At the first pre-trial hearing, the State will usually have a potential plea agreement for the Defendant. If the parties aren’t able to reach an agreement, eventually the matter will usually get set for trial.

Indiana Criminal Rule 4 dictates the timelines for setting trials. Generally, if someone is in custody, they are required to be tried within 180 days. If someone is not in custody, they are required to be tried within 1 year. There are exceptions to these rules, and a Defendant always has a right to waive this time period if they want to spend more time preparing their case before trial.

The judicial process, in general, is not swift, but the Dubois County Prosecutor’s Office always tries to keep cases moving so they can be resolved as quickly as possible.

The Court Process Explained (Post 2) How Does Bond Get Set?When someone is arrested by law enforcement for new criminal ...
05/29/2026

The Court Process Explained (Post 2)

How Does Bond Get Set?

When someone is arrested by law enforcement for new criminal charges or is arrested pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the court, they come before the Court for an initial hearing. At the Initial Hearing, the Court advises the person of the charges, their rights, and the maximum possible penalties. After that, the Court takes up the issue of bond.

In Dubois County, we have the pre-trial services office that is part of Dubois County Community Corrections. The individual will be evaluated by pre-trial services prior to the Initial Hearing, and they will file a report with a recommendation to the court regarding bond. The Court should consider this recommendation, as well as factors related to the defendant’s risk of nonappearance and his potential danger to the community, when setting a bond.

At the initial hearing, the prosecutor’s office may make a recommendation for bond, and the defendant will also have an opportunity to speak regarding the bond issue. Ultimately, the amount of the bond is set by the Judge in the Court in which the Defendant appears.

Judge Anthony Quinn presides over Dubois Superior Court and primarily hears drug, alcohol and traffic offenses.

Judge Nathan Verkamp presides over Dubois Circuit Court and primarily hears victim cases.

Acting Judge Karen Werner is a magistrate from Perry County, and she comes to Dubois County two days per week to assist both Judges.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

An update on the criminal case against Nathan Simpson, 37, Evanston. The following charges have been filed against Mr. ...
05/26/2026

An update on the criminal case against Nathan Simpson, 37, Evanston. The following charges have been filed against Mr. Simpson related to the vehicle crash that occurred near the Holland Junction last week:

1) Causing Death When Operating a Vehicle with a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance in the Blood, a Level 4 felony;

2) Causing Death When Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a Level 4 felony;

3) Causing Serious Bodily Injury when Operating a Vehicle with a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance in the Blood, a Level 5 felony;

4) Causing Serious Bodily Injury When Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a Level 5 felony;

5) Causing Serious Bodily Injury When Operating a Vehicle with a Schedule I or II Substance in the Blood, a Level 5 felony;

6) Causing Serious Bodily Injury when Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a Level 5 felony;

7) Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person, a Class A misdemeanor; and

8)Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor.

The State also filed a notice of intent to seek habitual offender status, which carries an additional fixed term of years, if proven.

Mr. Simpson appeared before Judge Anthony Quinn in Dubois Superior Court on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Judge Quinn set bond in the amount of $100,000 cash only with enhanced pre-trial monitoring should he post that bond. Mr. Simpson is to have no contact with the victim(s) in this case as a condition of bond.

*All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Court Process ExplainedI often get questions about the court process, and it seems there are some common misconcepti...
05/26/2026

The Court Process Explained

I often get questions about the court process, and it seems there are some common misconceptions about how the court system works. I will attempt to dispel some of those misconceptions in a series of posts.

First up: How are people charged with crimes?

Individuals face criminal charges in one of four ways:
1) They are arrested and taken to jail by law enforcement, who then send a probable cause affidavit to the prosecutor’s office for review. The prosecutor’s office ultimately decides what criminal charges to formally file (if any);
2) Law enforcement gives the individual a court date to appear and sends a probable cause affidavit to the prosecutor’s office for review. Again, my office decides whether to file and what the formal charges will be;
3) After investigating a crime, law enforcement provides a probable cause affidavit to the prosecutor’s office for review. The prosecutor’s office then decides what charges will be filed and requests that the Court send the person a summons to appear in court; or
4) After investigating a crime, law enforcement sends an affidavit for warrant for arrest to the prosecutor’s office for review. The prosecutor’s office decides what charges will be filed and requests that the Court issue a warrant for their arrest upon a finding of probable cause.

The prosecutor’s office cannot talk to individuals about their cases until they appear in court for an initial hearing. After the initial hearing, the individual will either represent themselves in the case or will hire (or be appointed) an attorney. If you are indigent (or can’t afford an attorney on your own), the court may appoint an attorney to represent you. Unless you choose to plead guilty at the initial hearing, the court enters a plea of not guilty on the defendant’s behalf and sets the matter for a future pre-trial conference.

All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, Frank W. Frye, 47, Bloomington, appeared in Dubois Circuit Court for an Initial Hearing befor...
05/22/2026

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, Frank W. Frye, 47, Bloomington, appeared in Dubois Circuit Court for an Initial Hearing before Judge Nathan Verkamp. Mr. Frye is facing criminal charges for the following: one count of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon as a Level 4 felony, one count of Theft as a Level 5 felony, four counts of Theft as Level 6 felonies, and four counts of Unauthorized Entry of a Motor Vehicle as Class B misdemeanors. Judge Verkamp set bond at $10,000 cash only. If he posts that bond, he will be placed on enhanced pre-trial monitoring and be required to have no contact with the victim(s) in this case.

On Friday, May 22, 2026, Baudel Linares Zapata, 31, Ferdinand, appeared in Dubois Circuit Court for an Initial Hearing before Judge Nathan Verkamp. Mr. Zapata is facing criminal charges for the following: two counts of Child Molesting as Level 4 felonies and two counts of Neglect of a Dependent as Level 6 felonies.

Mr. Zapata left Dubois County during the pendency of the investigation and was picked up in Tennessee on an arrest warrant in this case and later extradited back to Dubois County. Judge Verkamp set a cash bond of $15,000 cash only. Should he post that bond, Mr. Zapata will be placed on enhanced pre-trial monitoring and will be required to have no contact with the victim(s) in this case.

Also, an update to a case previously reported on by law enforcement. Nathan Simpson, 37, Evanston, was previously arrested on several counts of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Causing Death and Serious Bodily Injury. My office is in the process of filing charges in this case, and Mr. Simpson will appear before Judge Anthony Quinn in Dubois Superior Court for an Initial Hearing on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 1:00 P.M. He is currently held without bond in this case.

*All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

On Friday, May 15, 2026, a bench trial was held before Judge Nathan Verkamp in the case of State vs. Pamela Hasenour, 62...
05/21/2026

On Friday, May 15, 2026, a bench trial was held before Judge Nathan Verkamp in the case of State vs. Pamela Hasenour, 62, Jasper. Ms. Hasenour was charged with Residential Entry (a Level 6 felony), Invasion of Privacy (a Class A misdemeanor), and Criminal Trespass (a Class A misdemeanor).

After hearing evidence and arguments from both sides, Judge Verkamp found Ms. Hasenour guilty of Residential Entry. He found her not guilty of the Invasion of Privacy charge. Judge Verkamp further found the Criminal Trespass charge to be a lesser included offense of the Residential Entry charge, thereby dismissing Count 3.
At the time of the trial, Ms. Hasenour had an outstanding arrest warrant for an alleged violation of her pre-trial release in this case. At the conclusion of the trial, she was taken into custody on that warrant. Sentencing in this matter is set for June 2, 2026, at 11:00 A.M.

Judge Verkamp did not yet enter a conviction on the Residential Entry charge. He has the discretion during sentencing to either enter the conviction as a Level 6 felony or a Class A misdemeanor.

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, James Blunk, 39, Otwell, appeared before Judge Verkamp for an open sentencing on an Invasion of Privacy charge as a Class A misdemeanor. This charge stems from a letter Mr. Blunk sent while incarcerated at the Indiana Department of Correction.

After hearing evidence and arguments from both parties, Judge Verkamp sentenced Mr. Blunk to a total of 360 days, with the first 180 days to be served in jail at the Dubois County Security Center, followed by the remaining 180 days to be served on supervised probation. Mr. Blunk is to receive credit for the time he previously served in jail in this case. The sentence also is to run consecutively (or after) the sentence for which he was in prison. As a condition of his sentence, he’s to have no contact with the complaining witness.

On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Trenton Torres, 36, Jasper, appeared before Judge Verkamp for an initial hearing on three counts of the charge of Lifetime Parole Violation, a Level 6 felony. Mr. Torres is alleged to have been residing in a home with children under the age of 16, in violation of his lifetime parole requirements. Judge Verkamp set bond at $5,000 cash only.

*All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Address

602 Main Street, 2nd Floor
Jasper, IN
47546

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 4pm
Friday 8am - 12pm
1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+18124825725

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