Welch enters plea to wanton endangerment, drug charges

Tremayne Welch entered both an Alford plea and a guilty plea in Christian Circuit Court Monday morning.

The guilty plea was to charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia—which are misdemeanors—and the Alford plea was to an amended charge of first-degree wanton endangerment—Judge Andrew Self says those came with a recommended one-year sentence in total.

Welch had originally been indicted for second-degree assault, when he had been in an argument with the victim and struck them in the head with a metal pipe. An Alford plea is a guilty plea where the defendant maintains his innocence, but acknowledges there is likely enough evidence to result in a conviction should the case go to trial.

Welch requested some of his property be released back into his possession, and the judge says they should be able to get that figured out before he comes back to court for final sentencing.

Final sentencing was set for January 4. Judge Andrew Self released Welch on these cases, but he will remain in custody for the time being as details are worked out on a child support case.