Six people were recently sentenced for various crimes in the Fulton County Common Pleas Court according to county prosecutor Scott A. Haselman.
- Trey Pontious, 28, of Delta, Ohio, previously pleaded guilty to Possession of Fentanyl. He possessed Fentanyl.
Judge Jeffrey L. Robinson sentenced Mr. Pontious to 3 years of community control and ordered him to pay prosecution costs and court-appointed counsel fees, stay out of bars/taverns, not possess or consume alcohol, abide by an 10:00 pm. to 6:00 am. curfew except for work, to be held at CCNO until a bed is available at the SEARCH Program, successfully complete the SEARCH Program, and any recommended aftercare, complete a dual assessment with Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio, and complete any recommended treatment, successfully complete the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program, and to become valid with his driver’s license.
Failure to comply could result in Mr. Pontious spending 11 months in prison.
- Douglas W. McClish, of Delta, Ohio, age 52, previously pled guilty to Domestic Violence, Assault, and Obstructing Official Business. According to Fulton County Prosecutor Scott Haselman, Mr. McClish caused physical harm to one person and threatened imminent physical harm to another person. He also obstructed public officials in the performance of their lawful duties.
Judge Jeffrey Robinson sentenced Mr. McClish to two years of community control. He ordered Mr. McClish to pay court costs including the cost of the electronic monitoring unit; successfully complete recommended treatment and aftercare at A Renewed Mind; not enter bars and/or taverns; have no contact with Forrest Mobile Home Park.
Mr. McClish received credit for 94 days served in jail.
- Robert Sinkey, Jr., 33, of Alvordton, Ohio, previously pleaded guilty to Domestic Violence and Abduction. He did by threat or force, knowingly cause, a family or household member to believe that he would cause imminent physical harm to them, and he did knowingly, by force or threat, restrain the liberty of another under circumstances which created a risk of physical harm to the other person or placed her in fear.
Judge Jeffrey L. Robinson sentenced Mr. Sinkey to 30 days in jail for Domestic Violence, and 30 months in prison for Abduction. Said sentences to be served concurrently with one another for a total prison term of 30 months.
- Jeremy Standifer, 44, of Monroe Michigan, previously pled no contest, and was found guilty of Menacing by Stalking and Failure to Appear on a Personal Recognizance Bond. He did, by engaging in a pattern of conduct, knowingly cause another to believe that he would cause physical harm to the other person or cause mental distress to them. He also failed to appear at a pretrial conference.
Judge Jeffrey L. Robinson sentenced Mr. Standifer to 3 years of community control and ordered him to pay prosecution costs, pay a $500 fine, stay out of bars/taverns, not possess or consume alcohol, abide by an 11:00 pm. to 5:00 am. curfew, complete a dual diagnosis assessment, and complete any recommended treatment, and serve 17 days in CCNO, with credit for days already served.
Failure to comply could result in Mr. Standifer spending 180 days in CCNO for Menacing, and 16 months in prison for Failure to Appear. Said sentences to be served concurrently with one another for a total prison term of 16 months.
- Richard Bricker, 58, of Wauseon, Ohio, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of Violating a Protection Order. On three separate occasions, he did recklessly violate the terms of a protection order.
Judge Jeffrey L. Robinson sentenced Mr. Bricker to 11 months for each count of Violating a Protection Order. Said sentences to be served concurrently with one another for a total of 11 months in prison.
- Dakota Brooks, 29, of Fayette, Ohio previously pleaded guilty to Burglary. He did, by force, stealth, or deception, trespass in a permanent or temporary habitation of another, when that person was present or likely to be present.
Judge Jeffrey L. Robinson sentenced Mr. Brooks to 2 years of community control and ordered him to pay prosecution costs, stay out of bars/taverns, not possess or consume alcohol, successfully complete the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program, complete a dual assessment by Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio, and complete any recommended treatment, be placed on TAD for 60 days, bring his driver’s license valid within 60 days, and serve 17 days in CCNO, with credit for time already served.
Failure to comply could result in Mr. Brooks spending 14 months in prison.
You would think Due Process would require a prosecutor to disclose to criminal defendants that he had done the presiding judge a tremendous favor by looking the other way at that judge’s possible ethics law violations. A judge would have been spared a possible prosecution and conviction, and all the embarrassment that would accompany it.
You would think a criminal defendant and his or her legal counsel would want to know that so they could ask that judge to remove himself from the case, or if he refuses, file an affidavit of disqualification with the Ohio Supreme Court. Of course, criminal defendants and their legal counsel cannot ask for that if they do not know in the first place.
The truth is politics has corrupted our legal system like nearly every other aspect of modern life. It has gotten so bad that judicial candidates for seats on the Ohio Supreme Court now will by law have their political affiliation next to their names on the ballot. In other words, their party membership matters more than anything else. No wonder a county prosecutor might not have the fortitude to do something potentially politically unpopular like initiate a criminal investigation of a sitting judge who is also a prominent member of his own political party. If so, then our legal system is every bit as rotten as our electoral system.