Stanton man convicted of trespass after taking vape to wife in jail

Michael Hansen, 36, of Stanton appeared in front of the Honorable Donna Taylor in the Antelope County courtroom in Neligh on Feb. 16, for pretrial hearing on a charge of obstructing government operations, a Class 1 misdemeanor.

In an unusual interpretation of the charge, Antelope County attorney Joe Smith amended the charge to second-degree trespassing, a Class 3 misdemeanor, and recommended a fine only at sentencing, in return for Hansen’s guilty plea. The charge had a potential penalty of up to a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail. Taylor fined him $250 and taxed $50 costs.

According to defens...