LISBON — Justin Givens entered a guilty plea Thursday to attempted escape and a weapons charge, but two other cases against him remain set for trials, including aggravated murder in the 2022 shooting death of Mary Ann McGuire.

Givens, 28, who currently resides in the Columbiana County jail, but whose last known address was Salineville, appeared in Common Pleas Court with his defense attorney Damian Billak for the plea hearing.

Judge Scott Washam set sentencing for 1 p.m. April 25, which is also the day he’s scheduled to appear for trial before Judge Megan Bickerton for an unrelated traffic case involving an endangering children charge.

In the case before Washam, Givens pleaded guilty to attempted escape and having weapons under disability, both third-degree felonies, as part of a plea agreement.

County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Weikart said his recommendation for sentencing is an 18-month prison term, noting that Givens currently has credit for 383 days served at the county jail.

There had been discussions about immediate sentencing, but Billak said the preference was to keep Givens local at the county jail in light of the other cases still pending and some negotiations going on. He remains housed at the county jail under a $1 million bond.

Washam explained that the two charges against him for attempted escape and having weapons under disability carry a possible minimum sentence of nine months each and a possible maximum sentence of 36 months each, plus they could be ordered served consecutively.

The weapons charge stemmed from Givens having a rifle in one of his pickups the day after the March 18, 2022 murder, even though he’s prohibited from having weapons. He was taken into custody as a person of interest on March 19, 2022, with the gun found in his vehicle. The attempted escape charge stemmed from him allegedly faking an injury at the jail in hopes of being transported to a hospital in an attempt to escape custody on March 21, 2022, a plan which was thwarted by the sheriff’s office.

The traffic case dates back to a December 2021 traffic stop for charges of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, obstructing official business and the endangering children charge.

A continuance was granted earlier this week in the aggravated murder case, with the new jury trial date set at 9 a.m. July 18 before Bickerton, with a final status hearing set for 10 a.m. June 26.

Charges against Givens in that case include unclassified felonies of aggravated murder and murder for allegedly causing McGuire’s death, along with two counts of grand theft when the property is a firearm or dangerous ordnance, both third-degree felonies, two counts of tampering with evidence, both third-degree felonies, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor, and two firearm specifications.

mgreier@mojonews.com