ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — A Chillicothe man facing a felony cocaine possession charge was booked into the Ross County Jail Monday morning following a status conference in Ross County Common Pleas Court, one day before his scheduled jury trial.
Court records identify the defendant as Tito Duran Jr. and show he was indicted in November 2025. The case lists an original charge of possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, under Ohio Revised Code 2925.11. The indicted charge is listed more generally as fifth-degree felony possession.
Duran appeared for arraignment on March 6, 2026. Court records show he was released at that time on an own-recognizance bond, with pretrial supervision that included weekly reporting and testing.
The case was initially set for a plea or trial setting on May 1. Court records later show a jury trial was scheduled for August 25 at 8:15 a.m.
A motion to modify Duran’s bond was filed on August 11. Duran then appeared for a scheduled criminal status conference at 9 a.m. Monday, August 24, before Ross County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael M. Ater.
A court commitment filed following Monday’s proceeding states that Duran’s bond was set at $50,000. The court further ordered that if the bond is posted, Duran is not to be released until he has been drug tested.
Ross County Jail records show Duran was taken into custody at approximately 9:15 a.m. and booked into the jail at 9:24 a.m. The jail lists the charge as possession of drugs and identifies it as a warrant charge, with a $50,000 cash-or-surety bond.
The timing follows a series of recent developments in the case. On August 6, Judge Ater issued an entry addressing a request to continue the proceedings. The court noted that the matter had previously been scheduled for trial on May 1 and stated that the State had failed to issue subpoenas for more than 60 days. The court said the delay was attributable to the State and overruled the motion to continue unless the State could assure the court that Duran’s speedy-trial time was preserved.
Court records also show Duran’s counsel filed a motion to modify bond on August 11.
The docket entries reviewed do not explicitly state that Duran’s previous O.R. bond was revoked or identify the specific reason he was taken into custody Monday. Records do, however, show that he had previously been released on his own recognizance, appeared for the August 24 status conference, had a $50,000 bond entered that morning, and was booked into the Ross County Jail minutes later.
As of Monday evening, the case remained open and Duran’s jury trial remained listed for Tuesday, August 25 at 8:15 a.m.
Duran is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
