Midlands man on trial for meth possession came to court with meth in his pocket

A Midlands man who was on trial for his latest meth possession charge came to court Wednesday with meth in his pocket, according to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.

Franklin Dell Hayes, 31, came to the Newberry County Courthouse to start his trial for Possession of Meth, his third offense, the sheriff’s office said. At the end of the first day of the trial, the court ordered the Newberry man into custody until the end of the trial.

When deputies searched Hayes before taking him to the jail, they found approximately 4 grams of meth in his pants pocket, according to the sheriff’s office.

The jury, unaware of the meth found after the first day of court, convicted Hayes on Thursday, and he was sentenced to 9 years in prison, according to the sheriff’s office.

Hayes will be charged with Possession of Meth for the drugs found on him Wednesday, the sheriff’s office said.

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Midlands man on trial for meth possession came to court with meth in his pocket."