BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — A Warfield man has been sentenced to 17 years in state prison for felony convictions spanning both Martin and Lawrence counties, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
Jimmy Dale Maynard, 45, received the sentence after his conviction of persistent felony offender, first-degree assault (domestic violence), first-degree strangulation (domestic violence), unlawful imprisonment, trafficking in controlled substances, and third-degree assault of a police officer.
“The 17-year sentence was the culmination of coordinated efforts between prosecutors in Martin County and Lawrence County to ensure full accountability for the defendant’s criminal conduct,” the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
The charges stem from acts of domestic violence.
On Sept. 28, 2024, Maynard was arrested in Warfield for choking a female victim, slapping her across the face, and biting her forehead in a fit of rage. He allegedly threatened to “slit her throat.”
Police reported that the victim had bruising on both sides of her neck, marks across her face and forehead, and a cut behind her ear.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office noted that strangulation is “a crime widely recognized as one of the highest risk factors for domestic homicide.”
Maynard was also convicted of assaulting Deputy Kenny Maynard in Martin County on May 31 after failing to appear for a jury trial in Lawrence Circuit Court. When officers attempted to handcuff Maynard at Dempsey Housing in Warfield, he grabbed Deputy Maynard’s ear causing the lower lobe to tear.
The persistent felony offender conviction enhanced the penalties in Maynard’s sentence.
“This long-term sentence is a necessary and decisive result that prioritizes the safety of our most vulnerable citizens and protects our police officers,” the office stated. “We worked together to ensure that Mr. Maynard’s complete criminal history was factored into his punishment. Strangulation is an extremely dangerous act, and the law treats it as such. This sentence sends a clear message that persistent, violent offenders—especially those who terrorize their own families and attack the police—will face the toughest penalties available under Kentucky law.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Justin Rowe prosecuted the Martin County case, while Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Kyle Newsome prosecuted the Lawrence County case.
The convictions were secured with the assistance of Deputy Kenny Maynard of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office; Chief Deputy Mason Keefer and Deputy Joe Osborne of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office; and Detective Chase Kirk, formerly of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office.