BEDFORD – Lawrence Superior Court II Judge Bob Cline sentenced a Shoals man to 850 days in the Indiana Department of Correction after the man failed to comply with the terms of his probation.
Travis Chastain, 37, had previously pleaded guilty to the possession of methamphetamine charge, a Level 6 felony, and he was sentenced to 910 days in prison, with 878 days suspended, as a part of a negotiated plea agreement with the State of Indiana.
He also agreed to serve 730 days on supervised probation, which was set to begin on Nov. 4, 2021. However, at the beginning of December, he was charged with theft and criminal trespass in Monroe County, and he failed to show up for his scheduled intake appointment with the Lawrence County Probation Department. Those two instances violated the terms of his probation, and on Thursday, Judge Cline ordered him to serve 850 days in prison for the violation.
“As is always the case, Judge Cline took a long look at the defendant’s criminal history and current behavior, and he issued a ruling for prison time because it’s clear the offender is unwilling to change his habits, despite being given every opportunity to do so,” said Lawrence County Prosecuting Attorney Samuel C. Arp II. “We believe in giving offenders the chance to change, but when they make the decision to not
adhere to the terms of probation, the appropriate sentence includes prison time.”
