Administrative Order Postpones A Number Of Mercer County Criminal Cases To Next Month

Due to an administrative order aimed at reducing the congregation of large numbers of persons at courthouses, a number of April cases have been pushed to next month in Mercer County Circuit Court. Mark Artcher will now appear for a pre-trial conference on May 11th. And Lester Ward, James Pierson and Antonio Cortez Williamson are all scheduled to be in court on May 19th. All four defendants were due in court next week. Artcher is charged with a Class X felony of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and two Class 2 felonies of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Ward is charged with Class X felony methamphetamine delivery and a Class 3 felony of felon in possession of a firearm. Pierson faces three Class X felony child porn counts and Williamson awaits trial on three Class X felony counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child. The administrative order was announced by 14th Judicial Circuit Court Chief Judge Frank Fuhr last month in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.