MARTINSBURG. W.Va. — Republican candidate for Berkeley County sheriff, John Orem, was in Berkeley County Magistrate Court Wednesday for a pre-trial hearing regarding his single misdemeanor count of drug possession.
During the hearing, the prosecuting attorneys called two witnesses to the stand for questioning: Chief of EMS for Berkeley County, Chad Winebrenner, and Corporal Matthew Gilmore – a trooper with the state police.
The majority of the hearing was spent determining what evidence should be included in the trial, with judge Greg Miller denying the defense’s request to suppress the phone call Orem’s wife made to EMS.
The prosecuting attorneys argued that the events leading up to the search of the house are vital information and proved that search was justified.
Winebrenner was asked to go into detail about his arrival to the scene, and the steps that he and his coworkers took when assisting Orem.
When asked if the scene was similar to a standard heroin overdose, he said it was, and explained that paraphernalia is not always present when they arrive to these scenarios.
Winebrenner said after they had administered Narcan to an unconscious Orem, he refused transport to the hospital via ambulance on about 4 separate occasions, opting instead to visit his family doctor.
Corporal Gilmore was questioned primarily about the police’s involvement with the scene, and the evidence that was found in the bathroom.
Gilmore said he found a shoelace, a small plastic bag, and a metallic spoon with a white residue and burn marks on it’s convex side in the bathroom shortly after Orem had been treated.
He said that discovery is what prompted the probable cause for the state police in the investigation.
According to Orem’s attorney, he had been sick for a number of days prior to the incident, and said his collapse was the result of his illness clashing with his prescribed medication of Percocet.
Orem has been scheduled for a jury trial on October 12th.