Kim Fundingsland/MDN Johnny Lawson, center, visits with his wife and attorney Peter Welte following his sentencing in a Wells County courtroom Thursday.

FESSENDEN – It started as one of the most incendiary cases ever heard in Wells County. It ended with a fizzle.

Former Wells County Sheriff Johnny Zip Lawson was sentenced to 25 days of home confinement following three and one-half hours of testimony with Southeast District Court Judge Daniel Narum presiding.

The case began with Lawson’s resignation April 25, 2017 and subsequent arrest the following month in Bismarck. Lawson was charged with a Class A felony of conspiracy to deliver controlled substance-methamphetamine, a Class C felony of bribery and misdemeanor A counts of filing false reports to law enforcement or other security officials, public servant refusing to perform duty and ingesting a controlled substance. The maximum sentence on those charges could have resulted in 28 years imprisonment.

Lawson had been cleared of the most serious charges in earlier court appearances. However, Narum had rejected an earlier plea agreement in which Lawson agreed to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor in exchange for testifying in a separate case. At the time Narum nixed the agreement, calling it “inappropriate.” That set up Thursday’s sentencing hearing.

Following emotional testimony from Lawson’s wife in which she told the court, “People have destroyed our lives. I ask that you dismiss this case. He is a Christian man,” and claimed Lawson was the victim of “politically charged persecution.” Attorney Peter Welte offered a lengthy defense of Lawson.

Welte said, “If not for a rush to judgement we would not be here today,” and added there was a “mob justice mentality” in Wells County.

Welte repeatedly referred to a disfunctional Wells County courthouse which he characterized as having a “tremendous amount of friction” at the time of Lawson’s resignation, a resignation he said was triggered by actions of Wells County commissioner Randy Sukut. Furthermore, said Welte, Lawson was suffering at the time from the after effects of the discovery of a murder/suicide in rural Wells County.

Lawson admitted to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation that he had used methamphetamine “a long time ago.” The former sheriff addressed that admission in a statement to the court Thursday, saying it was near the end of a four hour questioning session and that he “just wanted to get home to my wife and kids.”

Lawson said he resigned his sheriff’s position “to protect my family and have lived a nightmare ever since.” He told Narum, “Your honor, I have paid a heavy price.”

Welte had earlier told the court that Lawson was “chewed up by the system” and was an “honorable man.” Welte requested Narum to order a deferred imposition of sentence so that Lawson could begin working today. Welte explained that the court proceedings and charges against Lawson have resulted in his client losing three jobs and that Lawson had an offer to start a new job immediately if cleared by the court.

In his ruling, Narum cited Lawson’s five days in jail following his arrest in 2017 and said further incarceration was not necessary. He then announced that Lawson would be subject to wear a monitor and serve 25 days of home confinement.