Paul Dover, Anderson, was given an eight-year prison term as part of plea agreement for two Level 4 felony drug charges this week in Hancock County Circuit Court. However, due to his medical condition, the term was suspended to formal probation.
HANCOCK COUNTY — A county judge showed leniency to a man facing several years in prison for felony drug crimes after learning the defendant has serious, life-threatening health issues, officials from the prosecutor’s office said.
Paul A. Dover, 49, was originally charged in March 2019 with two Level 4 felony counts of dealing methamphetamine and two Level 6 felony charges of possession of methamphetamine, crimes that can normally carry up to 12 years in prison.
Tuesday in Hancock County Circuit Court, Dover entered into a plea agreement where Judge Scott Sirk gave him an eight-year prison term but suspended seven years and 234 days of the sentence to formal probation for the Level 4 crimes. As part of the agreement, the Level 6 felony charges were dismissed.
Prosecutor Brent Eaton noted while the case had special circumstances, his office had asked for a cap of four years of the term to be executed in prison. However, the court ruled to have the full term served on formal probation due to the defendant’s health status.
“We argued for prison,” Eaton said. “But, the man has serious health problems, and that’s a big reason for the decision.”
According to a probable cause affidavit, officials from the Greenfield Police Department say Dover participated in controlled narcotics purchases, exchanging drugs for cash on two separate occasions in 2019 where the drugs field-testing positive as methamphetamine.
