An Ohio University student faces drug possession charges in the Athens County Municipal Court after local law enforcement found marijuana in her dorm room.
Jennifer Spetrino, 19, was served an indictment charging one count of underage alcohol consumption, possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana drug paraphernalia, which are all misdemeanors.
She pleaded not guilty to all of the charges Thursday.
Athens County Common Pleas Court Judge L. Alan Goldsberry signed a search warrant allowing Athens Police Department and Ohio University Police Department officials to search Spetrino’s South Green dorm room, which is a “mod” style single, records show.
APD officials referred any questions to OUPD.
According to the OUPD police report, the Martzoloff House Residential Coordinator Kayla Lennon, 26, contacted law enforcement after finding evidence of possession of marijuana paraphernalia during an Environmental Health and Safety inspection.
The report does not specify how much marijuana was found in the room.
According to court documents, the warrant requests permission to search “said person, building, place or vehicle within three days after the (issue) of this warrant” due to a suspicion that Spetrino possesses marijuana or “any other controlled substance or drug abuse.”
As of Wednesday, the university had not received notice of the search warrant yet, but Director of Community Standards and Student Responsibility Martha Compton said in an email that her office generally receives a copy of the report whenever a student arrest occurs.
Spetrino is scheduled to appear for a hearing before Judge William Grim in the Athens County Municipal Court March 20. She has not been placed on bond and has no public defender listed at this time, according to court documents.
kf398711@ohiou.edu
@KellyPFisher
