Baxter County prison inmate pleads guilty to addional charges

A Midway man entered a guilty plea to charges against him during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court/Criminal Division on November 17.
Forty-six-year-old Donald Hoyt III was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to six years in prison to run concurrently with the sentence he is now serving.

Hoyt is an inmate in the Randal Williams Unit of the state prison system at Pine Bluff.

The case has been continued at least 10 times beginning in November last year, with the last continuance being granted on October 20 this year.

At one point, Hoyt decided to represent himself and began to file documents and make statements akin to the often-quasi-legal and, at times, unrecognizable, terms used by members of the Sovereign Citizens.

His handwritten filings have included a request to have prosecutors show evidence that they have power over him since he contends “God is the only one that has power over me.” He asked that if such proof could not be provided that his case be dismissed.

In one short petition, Hoyt asks that all the evidence in the case be suppressed although there are no reasons given as to why the court should take that action.

In a motion to dismiss with a bar to further prosecution, Hoyt claims that no contract exists which puts him in the court’s jurisdiction. He also claims that “every person is independent of all laws except those prescribed by nature.”

The “legal claims” most often reflect the offbeat beliefs of the group rather than established law.

NEW CHARGES

Hoyt was arrested in the early morning hours of October 14 last year when Baxter County sheriff’s deputies responded to the report of a physical domestic incident at an address along County Road 508.

When a deputy questioned the female victim, she said Hoyt had attacked her in a motor home that was parked adjacent to the residence.

The victim said the couple had left the residence and gone to the motor home about 4:00 a.m. to have “romantic interaction.” According to the probable cause affidavit, an argument began based on Hoyt’s belief that the female had been seeing other men.

Deputies found Hoyt in the motor home. When they knocked, he opened the door and came outside.

At the time of the incident Hoyt had a search waiver on file permitting warrantless searches of his person or property.

When they entered the motor home, which was registered to Hoyt, the deputies found a “sling type swing” hanging from the ceiling. They also reported finding “sexual devices” in the vicinity where the victim alleged the attack took place.

Deputies also found a .22-caliber rifle and ammunition for the gun. As a convicted felon, Hoyt is not allowed to be around weapons.

Court records show a number of criminal cases have been opened on Hoyt in Marion County as well. Court records show those cases, which included charges of sexual indecency with a child, are no longer active.

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