Inmate accused of possessing ‘dangerous weapon’ while in custody

Published 12:00 pm Friday, March 15, 2024

Conasauga Judicial Circuit Judge Cindy Morris denied a motion to set bond for a 33-year-old man accused of possessing a “dangerous weapon” while in custody at the local jail in Whitfield Superior Court on Tuesday, March 12.

Defendant Christopher Lee Duvall is accused of possessing “a knife made of sharpened glass” within the Whitfield County Jail on April 15, 2021.

“An offer was made prior to him going to prison to resolve it, he did not take the State up on that offer,” said Conasauga Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Mark Higgins. “He’s committing felonies in jail, while in jail on other felonies which he’s since pled to.”

Higgins argued that the defendant was a risk to commit further felonies if released from pre-trial detention.

“I will say I did give an offer to Mr. Duvall today, it came down from the original offer,” Higgins told the court. “That original offer will go away today.”

The State offer, he said, would’ve been one year to serve, consecutive “to what his sentence was he was serving.”

Representing the defendant at the hearing was public defender Stephen Blevins.

“He is a resident in Tunnel Hill, that he would be able to stay at,” he said. “He’s never failed to appear … he indicates it is a three-year-old case, your Honor, just take that into consideration.”

Although a bench warrant for the defendant was lifted by operation of law, Morris was not inclined to set bond for Duvall.

“He is alleged to have committed a felony while in jail,” she said. “So that, sort of by definition, makes him a risk to reoffend.”

During the same hearing, the defendant entered a plea of “not guilty” to the alleged offense.

“We’ll set it down for a May 3 calendar call,” Morris stated.