A Dickinson resident faced with drug-related charges pleaded not guilty at her Stark County preliminary hearing Monday.
Jennifer Kehrberg is charged for allegedly intending to sell methamphetamine and unlawful possession of the prescription drug hydromorphone in July.
Southwest Judicial District Judge H. Patrick Weir ruled Monday that Kehrberg's only has to pay $500 of her $5,000 bond to get out of jail.
During the hearing, Investigator Nick Gates of the South Sakakawea Narcotics Task Force said the meth was found in a Dickinson hotel. He said the room was searched after an alleged domestic disturbance between Kehrberg and Reina Martinez, who also faces drug charges for the incident.
Gates said Martinez, whose name was reportedly registered to the hotel room, gave authorities permission to search the room. He said meth was found between the mattress and box spring of a bed in the room.
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"We found one bag containing eight smaller bags of methamphetamine and one larger bag containing methamphetamine," Gates said.
The smaller bags each contained about a half a gram of meth, Gates said, adding the larger bag contained about 3 grams. Gates said meth is often sold in half grams.
He said Kehrberg kept looking into her purse. Fearing she had a weapon, Gates searched her purse and found the prescription drug.
Jay Greenwood, Kehrberg's attorney, asked how Gates determined the meth belonged to both women when the room was registered under Martinez.
Gates said Martinez told him the drugs were Kehrberg's.
Gates said he did not feel comfortable interviewing Kehrberg at the time because he believed Kehrberg was under the influence of drugs that day.
Gates did interview Martinez, but despite an arrest warrant, authorities do not know where she is. Gates said Martinez could be in Colorado.
"Based on what they've shown today, it's not possible that they can convict this person (Kehrberg) of either offense," Greenwood said.
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Stark County States Attorney Tom Henning agreed with Greenwood, but said the evidence he presented constituted probable cause to move forward with the case.
"That's what the law says in North Dakota is that you may not convict on the evidence of the codefendant alone, but this is only a probable cause hearing," Henning said. "It is appropriate to have this matter bound over for further, appropriate proceedings and let the chips fall where they may in the further proceedings."
Weir ruled that evidence presented at the hearing constituted probable cause to schedule further hearings in the case.
Greenwood declined comment on the matter after the hearing.
