Cedar City man pleads ‘no contest’ to firing gun in argument; plea to be held in abeyance for 2 years

Stock photo by Alex Star/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

CEDAR CITY — A Cedar City man who was arrested after being accused of firing a handgun during an argument with a neighbor has pleaded no contest to a single count of third-degree felony discharge of a firearm.

Jonathan Koltvet, 40, entered the plea in 5th District Court on Monday afternoon via videoconference from Iron County Jail. Judge Matthew L. Bell accepted the plea and said it would be held in abeyance for 24 months.

If Koltvet successfully abides by the terms of the agreement, the charge will be dismissed and not go on his record, Bell said during the hearing. 

“If you were to violate these terms, then your plea would be no longer held in abeyance,” Bell added. “Instead, it would be entered as a conviction on your record, and then we would proceed to sentencing if that happens.”

As previously reported in Cedar City News, Koltvet was arrested following an incident on Nov. 14 at a residence near 300 West and 2100 North. Police said Koltvet fired one shot from a small caliber pistol during a confrontation with a neighbor.

Although Koltvet was initially charged with two third-degree felonies, a second count of aggravated assault was dismissed in accordance with the plea agreement. He was represented by defense attorney Jack Burns.

The judge gave Koltvet credit for the 14 days he’d served in jail since his arrest and ordered that he be released. The court also said Koltvet must obey all laws, aside from minor traffic violations, during the 24-month plea in abeyance period.

“You are to stay 1,000 feet away from the persons mentioned in this written agreement, with the exception of entering your residence under the circumstances as outlined,” Bell added. “Otherwise, no contact, direct or indirect, with the persons mentioned.”

Bell also ordered Koltvet to forfeit the handgun that he used during the incident and to not possess any other firearms during the period of the agreement. Koltvet was also ordered to pay a fine of $500, plus a $53 court security fee. 

“Please do not give me any reason to question whether you can be trusted to be safe and not put other people at risk,” Bell told Koltvet. “If you were to engage in any behavior like that, you would cause this court great concern and the results of this case would go very differently.”

Koltvet’s next scheduled court appearance is a virtual review hearing on Aug. 14 via WebEx.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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