Two men were recently convicted of domestic violence in Lyon County.
On Jan. 4, the Third Judicial District Court sentenced Wesley Huttman, 34, of Baxter, Minn., who was charged with battery to commit sexual assault, after a three-day jury trial in September. The sentence holds a term of two to 10 years in the Nevada State Prison.
Huttman battered the victim in their home in Fernley, while a child was in the residence. The child called 911 to help the victim. Nevada Highway Patrol and the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office responded and found the victim beaten with visible injuries.
The jury acquitted Huttman on all other charges but returned with a guilty verdict on the battery with intent charge, a category B felony. Huttman filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Adrian Porter, 35, of Reno, was convicted on charges of domestic battery causing substantial bodily harm and preventing a witness from reporting a crime on March 6. The charges run from 15 to 60 months and 12 to 32 months, to be served concurrently.
Porter entered the victim’s house on Feb. 28, 2016, and hit her repeatedly, resulting in serious injury. Porter took the victim’s cell phone to keep her from calling police.
Lyon County District Attorney Stephen Rye stated domestic violence cases aren’t easy sentences, especially for the victim who often has to relive the incident in court.
“Domestic violence is a serious problem in our communities,” Rye said. “These are difficult cases for several reasons, especially for victims, who must testify and relive these traumatizing events in front of the offender and a jury. The courage of these victims to confront the abusers is admirable and amazing. Law enforcement also plays a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice by responding and investigating these cases early on and working closely with victims to gather the information needed to move these cases forward in the court system. We respect and appreciate the victims’ cooperation in these cases and the work of law enforcement in bringing these cases to a successful conclusion.”
Brian Haslem and Matthew Merrill prosecuted Huttman. Jeremy Reichenberg and Chad Pace prosecuted Porter.