Robbery case against Hampton man dismissed by the State
Published 10:19 am Wednesday, August 30, 2017
A Criminal Court case against a Hampton man charged with aggravated robbery was dismissed in court on Monday.
Charles Miller, 27, of 304 Dennis Cove Road, Hampton, appeared in Carter County Criminal Court on Monday and the District Attorney’s Office informed the court it was dismissing the case against him. Miller had faced charges of aggravated assault, aggravated robbery (with a weapon), and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In July, Criminal Court Judge Stacy Street signed an order remanding the case back to General Sessions Court for a preliminary hearing. That hearing was scheduled to take place on August 4, but when the case was brought before the lower court, Assistant District Attorney Ryan Curtis informed the court that the State had been unable to locate the alleged victim in the case to notify her she needed to appear for the hearing.
“Your Honor, I believe the remedy to this case is in Criminal Court,” Curtis said.
General Sessions Court Judge Keith Bowers then signed an order sending the case back to Criminal Court.
“The above-styled case, previously remanded to the Carter County General Sessions Court for preliminary hearing, was unable to be heard due to the State failing to produce a key witness,” the order signed by Bowers states.
The State dismissed the charges as “nolle prosequi,” a legal term used to describe when a prosecutor abandons pursuing charges in a case.
The charges against Miller stemmed from an investigation by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office into the report of an armed robbery which allegedly occurred on Oct. 25, 2015.
The alleged victim in the case told officers she went to Miller’s home on Dennis Cove Road. She said when she arrived, Miller got into her vehicle, held a gun to her head, and took her cell phone and purse.