PANEL REJECTS CAPE MAN'S APPEAL

A Cape Girardeau man's appeal of narcotics convictions was refuted Tuesday by judges on the Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals.

The opinion in 25-year-old Dmitri Bell's case was given without comment by the three-judge panel after receiving written briefs from lawyers on April 4.

Bell, one of eight arrested in a riot involving Cape Gir-ardeau police in 1999, was appealing seven-year and 10-year sentences for possession of marijuana and crack cocaine with intent to distribute.

The drug charges stemmed from an incident that occurred one day prior to the riot, which involved some members of a crowd estimated at 150 throwing bricks and rocks at police.

Bell had been acquitted of a felony charge for interfering with an arrest by the Southern District Appeals Court last year. However, judges found that enough evidence existed to charge Bell with a misdemeanor crime and returned the case to New Madrid County court for a new sentence.

The court, which handled the case on a change of venue from Cape Girardeau County, gave Bell a new sentence of one year in jail.

This sentence is concurrent with other felony sentences received by Bell for other crimes.

He is serving 25 years in prison, which include 15 years for three probation violations involving drugs, along with the marijuana and crack cocaine sentences, which are concurrent.

Bell's first chance for a parole hearing will not occur until May 2010, said Tim Kniest, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Corrections.