FARMINGTON – A Farmington man’s sentencing hearing was continued Monday until April 27 despite objection from a state prosecutor.

Jeremiah Paulton’s attorney, Josh Robbins, said he has some new information that may benefit his client, if it proves true.

However, Judge Valerie Stanfill denied the request to let Paulton leave Franklin County jail to enter a 30-day substance abuse program.

Stanfill found Paulton, 26, guilty of terrorizing a former girlfriend earlier this year and violating his probation from a manslaughter conviction stemming from the stabbing death of Blaine Jasper in 1999 in Farmington. Paulton pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Nov. 22, 2000, and was sentenced to seven years of a 20-year prison sentence and six years of probation.

Paulton has remained in the Franklin County jail since his arrest in August 2008.

He has nearly 13 years of the manslaughter sentence left to serve and was expected to be sentenced Monday.

Stanfill told people at the Farmington court that Paulton’s attorney had filed a motion to continue the sentencing date so he could investigate some information he received.

Stanfill said she granted the motion over the state’s “strong objections.”

She rescheduled the hearing for 11 a.m. Monday, April 27.

Assistant District Attorney James Andrews said he “strongly objected” to continuing the hearing, but the judge understood it was something that should be resolved before sentencing.

“I am acting on new information provided to me by a state employee,” Robbins said about why he filed the continuance.

Robbins said he didn’t know if he would file additional motions based on the new information but it needs to be investigated on his client’s behalf.