Three plead not guilty in Northampton Circuit Court

By Linda Cicoira

Three men pleaded not guilty to felony charges during arraignments in Northampton Circuit Court Monday. They requested jury trials, which were scheduled for early next year.

Seventy-five-year-old Hallwood Town Councilman John W. Smith Jr. said he was innocent of Oct. 6, 2023 counts of sodomy of a helpless victim, object sexual penetration, and abduction with intent to defile.

Smith is known for living in a big purple bus in the middle of his town, filming his neighbors, and successfully getting his town to pay for him to go to the dentist.

He also ran for state office against Judge Lynwood W. Lewis Jr., who presided over the arraignments. Smith dropped out of the contest before Election Day.

Smith’s February trial is expected to take two days. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

In another case, 27-year-old Jabias Tyree Kellam, of Bluebird Road in Cheriton, pleaded not guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine in July of 2023. His jury trial was set for Jan. 8, 2025, and was scheduled for one day. The maximum sentence for that offense is 40 years in prison.

The third defendant, 52-year-old Leroy Johnson, of Bayford Road in Nassawadox, was scheduled to be tried by a jury on Jan. 22, 2025. Johnson was indicted on counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine on July 11, 13, 14, and 18, and Aug. 7, 2023. Court records state he was previously convicted of “like” offenses. The terms for the alleged crimes range from 10 years to life in prison.