MADERA — Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno took to social media this week to shine a spotlight on new, more lenient California sentencing laws, especially as they apply to major drug offenses. The new laws, the DA warned, are allowing serious offenders with multiple convictions to spend much less time behind bars. To illustrate her point, Moreno highlighted the ...

MADERA — A Coarsegold woman who pled guilty to manslaughter in a 2018 DUI crash that killed two and injured two others has been sentenced to more than 9 years in state prison. Sasha Marie Watson entered guilty pleas in Madera County Superior Court last week (Feb. 11) to a number of charges including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. Watson ...

MADERA — Criminal proceedings were temporarily suspended late last week (Jan. 17) in the case of the North Fork man accused of murder in the July 2019 death of prominent Mono tribal elder Gaylen Lee. Robert Eugene Moye, 47, made another appearance in Madera Superior Court Friday morning for a hearing that was expected to be another preliminary step on ...

MOUNTAIN AREA — From progress on major new public and commercial projects to prosecution of high-profile criminal cases, 2019 was an eventful year in eastern Madera County. As 2020 dawns, here’s a look back at some of this year’s key stories. North Fork’s new roundabout: After several years of heated debate, Madera County’s first public roundabout was approved by the ...

MADERA — Lawyers and investigators are still trying to coordinate a visit to the crime scene in the case of a 47-year-old North Fork man charged with murder in the July shooting death of prominent Mono tribal elder Gaylen Lee. Robert Eugene Moye Jr. made another appearance in Madera County Superior Court on Monday (Dec. 2) morning. Handcuffed and wearing ...

COARSEGOLD – The United States Drug Enforcement Administration has made two arrests in connection with a local heroin overdose death. The victim – 29-year-old Wade Daltyn August of Coarsegold – was found unconscious by his mother in the early morning hours of August 22. Emergency medical services responded but were unable to revive him. The victim’s mother subsequently located numerous ...

MADERA — The 47-year-old North Fork man charged with homicide in the death of prominent Mono tribal elder Gaylen Lee made another appearance in Madera County Superior Court on Tuesday (Oct. 30) morning. Robert Eugene Moye Jr. appeared this morning before visiting Judge Josh M. Fredricks in Department 22. Handcuffed and shackled, Moye was dressed in a yellow and white ...

MADERA — Madera County Registrar of Voters Rebecca Martinez and District Attorney Sally Moreno announced Friday (Oct. 18) that 12 felony counts have been filed against a Monterey County resident stemming from an alleged voter registration scheme during the 2018 Gubernatorial Election. “In July of 2018, my office received several registration cards that were distributed by April Atilano, EVP 2018,” ...

MADERA — Mary O’Keefe has pled guilty in the 2016 murder of well-known North Fork resident Bonnie Hale. On Tuesday, Madera County District Attorney Sally Moreno confirmed the news while appearing before the Madera County Board of Supervisors. “The defendant pled to the homicide as well as a first-degree residential burglary and elder abuse on the victim, Bonnie Hale,” Moreno ...

MADERA — The 47-year-old North Fork man accused of killing prominent Mono tribal elder Gaylen Lee made an appearance in Madera County Superior Court on Wednesday morning. Robert Moye has been held in Madera County DOC on a $3.75 million bond since his arrest July 6 immediately following the shooting, which occurred near Lee’s home in North Fork. In addition ...