Two men appeared in Laurel Circuit Court June 18 for sentencing hearings related to sexual offenses with Judge Michael Caperton presiding.
Although 24-year-old Brandon Robert Johnson of London requested to have a change of attorney after pleading guilty in April, Judge Caperton ultimately moved forward with sentencing and told the defendant to contact Frankfort post-conviction.
One of Johnson’s charges was amended to first-degree sodomy (dropping the age of the victim), with the remaining counts being dismissed. He received a 20-year sentence for the 2022 case and must register as a lifetime sex offender.
In a separate case, Michael Rowland Hunter, 56, of Corbin, was similarly sentenced for the amended charge of first-degree sexual abuse involving a victim under the age of 12 — down from first-degree rape.
Hunter sought to withdraw his guilty plea, stating he had attempted to contact his attorney and believed a conflict attorney should have been appointed. However, the court noted that no written motion had been filed and found no valid grounds to support withdrawal.
Following an objection from the Commonwealth, the court proceeded with sentencing. Hunter received a 10-year sentence and must register as a sex offender.
Laurel Circuit Court will next convene Thursday, July 3, at 9 a.m. for hearings, pretrial conferences, and sentencings.