LISBON — A Cleveland man sentenced to 18 months in prison in April for possession of cocaine filed a handwritten challenge to his punishment.

Malcolm Gilford, 37, recently filed the appeal in the Seventh District Court of Appeals over what he claimed was the maximum sentence and that it failed to honor his plea agreement for the fourth-degree felony drug charge. He received credit for 44 days served in the county jail. He had been accused of possessing cocaine on May 19, 2021.

Before filing the appeal, Gilford filed a motion to withdraw his plea, but Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam denied the motion. In his ruling, Washam noted that new drug charges were filed against Gilford for an incident after his plea. That case remains pending.

Another handwritten appeal was filed recently with the Seventh District Court of Appeals by Deborah Lynn Holmes, 64, Midland, Pa., who was challenging her speeding conviction in Columbiana County Municipal Court. The incident occurred Feb 19, 2023 and she was found guilty and fined $30 plus court costs for a speed of 57 mph in a 45-mph zone.

In her filing, she claimed there was an error on the sentencing document, that it should have read 57 mph in a 40-mph zone. She also questioned the knowledge of the police officer in the case.