Hicks in jail after failing to appear in court on possession charge

An Ash Grove man was taken into custody after he failed to appear in court for a scheduled disposition hearing. Richard Hicks, 60, was booked into the jail on Wednesday, Jan. 11.
According to the probable cause statement in the case, Hicks was originally arrested on Nov. 16, 2019 in Halltown after a Lawrence County deputy sheriff made contact with him for “suspicious activity.” The deputy reported that Hicks had marijuana and a glass meth pipe in his possession, and that the glass pipe tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine. Hicks is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia, specifically the glass pipe.
With the passage of Amendment Three in November, recreational marijuana is now legal in the state of Missouri, but methamphetamine is not.
Online records show that Hicks was originally released from custody on his own recognizance in February of 2020. He was booked into the jail again on Oct. 13, 2022 after he failed to appear at a disposition hearing, but released again on Oct. 17 on his own recognizance.
As of press time, Hicks remains in custody at the Lawrence County Jail, where he is held without bond. He is next scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, Feb. 14 for a bond appearance hearing.