A man who was charged with contempt at the start of a recent murder trial has now pleaded guilty in Sedgwick County District Court.
On April 25th, a judge charged 22-year-old Kyle Wissner of Haysville with contempt for violating an order not to discuss the Javan Ervin case. Wissner was on the jury and he had talked with other jurors about news media coverage of the case. The judge found him in contempt and ordered a mistrial.
Wissner pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of criminal contempt, and a judge sentenced him to a year of probation with an underlying sentence of 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. Deputy Kansas Attorney General Vic Braden said when Wissner pays the $500 and court costs, he will be released from probation and the case will be closed.
On June 8th, a jury found 39-year-old Javan Ervin guilty of first degree murder in a fatal 2021 crash, and he will be sentenced on July 26th. Prosecutors said on July 6th, 2021, Ervin led police on a chase before crashing near Central and Ridge, killing 22-year-old Samantha Russell of Wichita, who was 33 weeks pregnant. Doctors were able to deliver and save Russell’s son.
