AUGUSTA — Several jury trials set for the Capital Judicial Center this week led to acquittals on some charges, convictions on others and pleas in one case.

A Jefferson man was cleared of a charge of operating under the influence on Monday by a jury that deliberated for 11 minutes.

John R. Henkins, 30, of Jefferson, had been stopped by police at 12:20 a.m. on April 5, 2015, on The Concourse in Waterville.

His defense attorney, Scott D. Gardner, said Wednesday, “The jury found ample reasonable doubt to acquit the defendant.” In his closing argument, he said he described the reasonable doubt as “so big that Rob Gronkowski could run through it untouched.”

He said Henkins was pleased with the verdict.

In a separate case, James G. Keene, 46, of West Gardiner, who was scheduled for a jury trial Wednesday on a charge of failure to comply with an order involving a dangerous dog, instead opted to plead guilty and take a 12-month deferred disposition.

Conditions are that he build a secure enclosure for his dogs, Star, Rock and Buck, within 30 days and pay all fees due to the Kennebec Valley Humane Society, which the judged noted totaled $5,640 as of Wednesday.

Keene also is required to “maintain control of and confine (the) dogs at all times to the secure enclosure except for veterinary care for the dogs or to comply with court orders at which time the dogs will be restricted by a tether not more than three feet in length with a minimum tensile strength of 300 pounds and under the direct control of the dogs’ owner.”

He was ordered to pay restitution of $200 to victims Jeremy Hilliard and Lisa Hilliard by Monday. They are neighbors on Bog Hill Road.

In a separate case, Buck, described as a male pit bull, was ordered permanently confined.

In that case, which was set for a bench trial, Keene was ordered to pay $800 in fines and fees for civil violations: three counts each of dog at large and unlicensed dog or wolf hybrid and one count of keeping a dangerous dog.

The violations were all dated June 23, 2015, in West Gardiner, and the charges were brought by Ross Boardman, the town’s animal control officer.

Keene represented himself in court.

In a separate case, Eric Anderson, 45, of Augusta, was convicted by a jury Tuesday of two counts of unlawful trafficking in drugs following a two-day trial.

The charges followed a search warrant executed on Feb. 20, 2015, at Anderson’s home at 88 Second Ave.

Anderson was acquitted by the judge of two additional counts of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs relating to an incident Feb. 11, 2015.

He is free on bail under monitoring by the Maine Pretrial Services program. A sentencing hearing is to be set in December.

Anderson’s defense attorney, Darrick Banda, said Wednesday he expects to file a motion for a new trial based on evidentiary issues.

During the trial, Kelly Hooper, an investigator for Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, testified that several other people were downstairs when police entered the home and that she was told Anderson was upstairs sleeping.

Among the items seized in the raid were heroin and cocaine.

Another officer, Special Agent Daniel Ames, testified that two people were found in the bathroom of the home, apparently trying to flush the drugs.

A large photo of the toilet with small plastic bags containing a white substance floating in it was passed around the jury box.

The prosecutor was Assistant Attorney General Katie Sibley.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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