A Pike County grand jury indicted Jimmy Golden

for attempted murder and arraignment is set for July 9.

Golden was released from the Pike County Jail on a $150,000 bond after he was arrested for allegedly

firing a rifle at Mike Lott, according the District Attorney Gary McAliley.

"The allegation is that Mike Lott was fired upon by Mr. Golden and Mr Lott contends the bullet went so close to his head that he had powder-burn residue on his cheek area and he suffered permanent hearing loss to some degree," he said.

If convicted of attempted murder with a deadly weapon, Golden could face a minimum sentence of 20 years up to a life sentence or a term not in excess of 99 years.

Judge Robert W. Barr allowed Golden's initial bond to continue until the arraignment, McAliley said.

The grand jury

convened Monday and Tuesday to hear evidence on 170 cases brought before it by the District Attorney's Office. Of that number, 145 were felony cases, 16 were misdemeanors and there were

nine other cases. Indictments were returned in all

felony and misdemeanor

cases, and six of the nine other issues were dismissed. Three cases - including the case of Timothy Spivey, accused of stealing air condition units and other items from the Pike County School System - were continued for further investigation.

"The grand jury ordered me to continue investigating

to see if there were

any other

individuals involved," McAliley said.

The Spivey case was continued until the next criminal jury due the heart attack and subsequent open-heart surgery of his defense attorney, but McAliley said work on the case in his office had not stopped.

"I will send a statement the Pike County Board of Education and a copy of the settlement letters just so they'll know where we are and that their input will be sought and welcomed," he said.

"In other words, if they (the school board) tell me to go to trial and let a jury decide, then we'll do that. If they're fine with a settlement - some penitentiary time and a split sentence - then we'd give their opinion great weight."

McAliley said that he felt any settlement of the case ought to include penitentiary time, a five-year probation and restitution of nearly $250,000.

"Folks think he's going to walk away," he said. "but he's not. We have children here who have been deprived of some comforts that would make receiving an education a little bit easier and I take that

very seriously," he said.

On May 30, the three circuit judges will have a plea day when defendants can enter guilty pleas

and quickly dispense with their cases.