In court: Man gets three years; Frommer hires attorney

ASPEN Judge James Boyd sentenced Jason Shields to three years in prison Monday amidst a busy district court docket.Shields, who is in his late 20s, served more than three years in community corrections, an intermediate step between probation and prison, for 2002 and 2005 convictions of cocaine possession and forgery.After Shields allegedly violated regulations at community corrections, Boyd handed Shields concurrent sentences of six and four years in prison.With credit for time served, that puts Shields in department of corrections for about three years. He was transported to prison shortly after sentencing.In other court news Alleged check fraud artist Peter Frommer has a new attorney.Frommer originally claimed indigence and asked for the help of a court-appointed attorney to face more than 30 allegations of writing bad checks in Aspen over the 2007 to 2006 winter.On Friday, thanks to a $20,000 check from his father, Frommer tried to hire the blue-chip firm of Haddon, Morgan, Mueller, Jordan, Mackey & Foreman P.C. The firm claimed their caseload was full, however, and denied Frommer, who on Monday hired California attorney Robert Koenig.Koenig appeared by phone.Attorneys on both sides are still awaiting Boyds ruling on whether the many California civil suits will be admissible at trial, which was set for a three-week jury proceeding starting Dec. 2.Frommers new attorney has until Sept. 3 to file any new motions in the case. Judge Boyd ordered on Monday that Anthony Cabrera, 41, be extradited to California on probation violations.Aspen police officers said they picked up Cabrera during the early morning hours Sunday, alleging Cabrera was drunk and disorderly at the Rubey Park bus station in Aspen.Officers said Cabrera threatened to kill them, and when Cabrera spat at Sgt. Rob Fabrocini, officers held Cabrera down and placed a spit mask on him.A fingerprint search showed that Cabrera, who allegedly gave police an alias of Seamus Navarro, had a warrant out of California.Following Boyds order, California officials have 15 days to pick up Cabrera. The 15-year-old boy who was charged with felony theft after he allegedly stole booze and wrecked two vehicles on Red Mountain recently will stay in pre-trial custody.Through his new attorney, Garth McCarty, the boy (whose name is not released because he is a minor) asked to be released from juvenile detention and placed with family members in Grand Junction until trial.Deputy District Attorney Gail Nichols, however, outlined a litany of recent charges and noncompliance with treatment, and Judge Boyd remanded the child to continued custody for his own safety and the safety of the community.The boy will face a pretrial hearing on June 16. Emily Brooke Billing pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of cocaine possession.Police allege they spotted Billing trying to hide a bindle of coke under a radiator at the Hotel Jerome on March 4.Billing, who lives on Marthas Vineyard, Mass., will likely be handed a deferred judgment at a sentencing hearing scheduled for July 7. Matthew Franzen struck a deal with District Attorney Nichols on Monday to do eight hours of anger management in exchange for having burglary and theft charges dropped.Franzen faced allegations that he entered his employers home without permission and stole documents and equipment. Jan Hamilton broke down sobbing when she pleaded guilty to a criminal trespass charge Monday.Hamilton said she was heartbroken that her friendship with Nancy Wall had deteriorated to a criminal charge, adding that she was just trying to mend fences when she went to Walls home in January.I didnt go there to hurt anybody; I went there to bring peace to our friendship, Hamilton said.Judge Boyd gave her a deferred sentence, and if Hamilton complies with a civil restraining order and attends twice-monthly counseling, the charges will be dismissed in two years.Boyd denied Hamiltons request to write a letter of apology. Elizabeth Marie Klempf on Monday rejected a deal from the district attorneys office and pleaded not guilty to charges of cocaine possession.The charge dates back to a February warrant arrest alongside Devin Schutter, who faces a laundry list of felony charges and possibly decades in prison. (Schutter is in custody in the Pitkin County jail and will face seven charges on June 16.)Klempfs trial is set for Nov. 24 and Nov. 25. Fermin Membreno-Membreno, 28, insisted that he was innocent Monday.But his claim of innocence shot down his chances at a plea deal for a one-year deferred sentence that he stalked and harassed two high school girls recently.Membrenos attorney, Mark Rubinstein, asked for and was granted a continuance, and Membreno remains in custody on a $2,800 bond and an immigration hold. Judge Boyd on Monday also issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Karen Kincaid, who failed to appear to face allegations of probation violation.cagar@aspentimes.com