New River Township Justice Court, March 13

The New River Township Justice Court in Churchill County convened Thursday, March 13, 2025, with Justice of the Peace Benjamin Trotter presiding over multiple cases, including domestic battery, a second offense DUI, and sentencing compliance hearings.

Megan Rodriguez entered a no-contest plea to one count of Domestic Battery, a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Rodriguez appeared with Churchill County Alternate Public Defender Wright Noel. Judge Trotter advised Rodriguez of her rights and the consequences of her plea, including the loss of firearm possession rights. “The court will accept the no contest plea and the factual basis,” Trotter ruled upon Noel informing the court of his client’s intended plea.

The court scheduled sentencing for March 27 to allow prosecutors to notify the victim under Marsy’s Law, which grants victims the right to provide a statement before sentencing.

Donnie Brown was ordered to serve 13 days in jail after failing to comply with sentencing requirements from two prior convictions for Domestic Battery, a misdemeanor carrying punishable by alito six months in jail, and a $1,000 fine per offense.

Brown, represented by Churchill County Public Defender Jacob Sommer, admitted in court that he had not completed his required community service, domestic violence counseling, or fines.

“You have to do the community service and counseling, or we’ll just keep running into each other over this indefinitely,” Trotter warned. The court applied a $150-per-day jail credit to resolve outstanding fines, requiring 13 days in custody. However, Brown still owes a $70 domestic violence assessment fee.

Trotter extended Brown’s deadline to March 15, 2026, to complete 148 hours of community service and 78 domestic violence counseling sessions. His 60-day suspended sentence remains in effect until July 2026. Judge Trotter set a status hearing for his remaining cases on March 27.

Brian Barbosa pleaded no contest to Driving Under the Influence, Second Offense, a misdemeanor carrying a mandatory jail sentence of 10 days to six months, along with fines, license suspension, and a substance abuse evaluation.

Retained defense attorney Steve Evenson represented Barbosa, while Deputy District Attorney Lane Mills represented the state. Barbosa’s first DUI conviction occurred in 2023, qualifying the current charge as a second offense under Nevada law.

Judge Trotter informed Barbosa that sentencing could not proceed until he completed a required substance abuse evaluation. The court directed Barbosa to schedule the assessment within one week through either New Frontier or High Desert Counseling.

The court continued sentencing for 45 to 60 days to allow time to evaluate and finalize blood test results. “Stay in contact with your attorney—he’ll let you know your sentencing date,” Trotter advised. Barbosa remains out of custody pending his sentencing hearing.