Michael Richard King, a 34-year-old Lakeport man, was in custody appearing at the Lake County Superior Court for a recent hearing.
During the hearing the defendant entered a not guilty plea to all counts and denied the special allegations.
King has been charged with an illegal possession of a weapon (a felony), possession of weapon on school grounds, possession of methamphetamine and possession of more than one ounce of marijuana.
Defense Attorney Thomas Quinn requested the matter be continued as the matter may resolve.
This case has been set for further proceedings with a possible disposition today with a Settlement Conference March 24, followed by Master Calendar Call April 3. The Master Calendar Hearing will confirm all parties are ready to proceed.
The Jury Trial has been set for April 8 at 8:15 a.m. in Department 4.
The charges stem from an incident in January when King was arrested by Lakeport police after being found carrying a knife on a local middle school campus.
According to Lakeport Police Department, King, was allegedly discovered with a folding knife hanging from the front of his belt line on Lakeport’s Terrace Middle School campus on Friday. The Lakeport Police Department’s school resource officer Ryan Cooley approached him and learned that King did not have authorization for being on campus.
“During further investigation,” the department said, “the officer determined that the subject…was illegally in possession of a knife on campus and had no authorization, nor legitimate purpose for being there.”
Cooley arrested King on suspicion of illegal possession of a weapon on school grounds—a felony—and a group of suspected misdemeanors that include being on school property without authorization and drug possession.
According to the police department, King was carrying about 0.5 pounds of marijuana—above the legal limit of one ounce—along with “drug paraphernalia.” He was booked into the Lake County Jail, held on $15,000 bail.
The defendant has since bailed out.
