Mode Man Agrees to Negotiated Plea in Criminal Trespass Case

A Mode man has been sentenced to probation and jail time after pleading guilty to a count of criminal trespass to a residence with a person present.

21-year-old Zachary Curtis was originally charged with a Class X felony count of home invasion and a felony count of residential burglary. The count to which Curtis pled guilty is a Class 4 felony.

As to the reasons for agreeing to the negotiated plea, Effingham County State's Attorney Bryan Kibler cited three factors; the case against Curtis wasn't as strong as the case against his two co-defendants whose cases were concluded earlier, Curtis' level of culpability wasn't as strong as that of the two co-defendants, and Curtis has successfully completed in-patient rehabiltation and continues to pass drug tests and has landed a fulltime job

Curtis was placed on two years' probation, sentenced to 180 days in jail, was ordered to make restitution to the victim, and was fined.