Sunday, November 09, 2008

ONE week in Berrien County Courthouse

"The thrust [of Berrien County Court] is to physically remove and destroy families through the use of the criminal justice system. Every person they can put in jail; every person whose voting rights they can revoke with a felony conviction; every person they can cause to lose their job by putting them on probation; every person that they can cause to lose the ability to pay for basic necessities through imposing ruinous court costs and probation is all part of the process." Atty. Hugh Davis

--sentencings, Berrien county, st. Joseph, druG courT sentences (HP, 11/8/08)
**********, 29, +++++++++ Avenue, Benton Township, 1-10 years in prison for possession of the controlled drug MDMA, known as ecstasy, June 25 at ++++++++ Ave., Benton Harbor.
**********, 24, ++++++ Avenue, Benton Harbor, 1-20 years in prison for possession with intent to deliver less than 50 grams of cocaine Sept. 23 at ++++ and ++++++ streets, Benton Harbor. ************, 31, Plymouth, Ind., 1-10 years in prison for possession of methamphetamine Sept. 23 at the Berrien County jail in St. Joseph.
**********, 22, South Bend, Ind., 180 days in jail and $120 for possession with intent to deliver less than 50 grams of cocaine Sept. 18 at +++++++ St., Niles Township.
*********, 16, +++++++ Road, Benton Township, 64 days in jail (credit for 64 days already served), two years probation and $1,960 for possession with intent to deliver an imitation controlled drug June 7 on +++++++ Court, Benton Harbor.
***********, 31, +++++++ Street, Benton Harbor, 45 days in jail for marijuana possession July 11 on ++++++++.
--Berrien county Trial court, st. Joseph
assault, **********, 26, ++++++++, Benton Township, 2-4 years in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon (knife) on Demetrious Simpson on Sept. 20 on +++++++++, Benton Township.
********, 23, ++++++++, Benton Township, 60 days in jail, 18 months probation and $300 for assault with a dangerous weapon (knife) on ********* on Sept. 1 at +++++++++ Ave., Benton Township.
*********, 27, +++++++Road, Benton Township, three days in jail (credit for three days already served), 18 months probation, $1,620 and 30 hours of community service for attempted assault with a dangerous weapon (broom handle) on ********** on July 26 at ++++++++, Benton Township.
criminal sexual conduct
***********, 28, ++++++++, Berrien Springs, 15-30 years in prison for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, second offense (penetration), with a 10-year-old boy over a period of time in 2003 and 2004 in +++++++++++++.
***********, 36, +++++++++, +++++++++, 1-10 years in prison for assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, reduced from first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 7-year-old girl from Jan. 1, 2006, through Jan. 1, 2008, in +++++++++++++.
Burglary
**********, 27, +++++++++, Benton Township, 1 1/2-10 years in prison and $23,003 restitution for breaking and entering Feb. 25 at ++++++++++++++, Benton Township.
*********, 28, ++++++++++, Benton Township, 1-2 1/2 years in prison for attempted third-degree home invasion, breaking and entering Sept. +++++++++, Benton Harbor.
***********, 25, ++++++++, Niles, 150 days in jail, two years probation, $3,600 restitution, and $2,010 fine and costs for third-degree home invasion, breaking and entering May 19 at ++++++++ Ave., Benton Township.
Fleeing or resisting police
************, 27, ++++++ Street, Benton Harbor, 1-2 years in prison for resisting and obstructing state Trooper O.J. Hamilton on Sept. 20 at +++++++++++++, Benton Harbor.
***********, 36, +++++++ Street, Benton Harbor, 180 days in jail and $120 for resisting and obstructing state Trooper O.J. Hamilton on Sept. 18 at ++++++++++, Benton Harbor.
Weapons offenses
***********, 18, ++++++++++, Benton Harbor, 330 days in jail, two years probation, $2,180 and 320 hours of community service for carrying a concealed weapon (pistol) on his person and in a car May 22 on the ++++++++++++++, Benton Harbor.
************, 25, ++++++++++, St. Joseph Township, 180 days in jail and $120 for carrying a concealed weapon (pistol) on his person Aug. 20 at +++++++++++ Street, St. Joseph Township.
**********, 20, +++++++++++, St. Joseph Township, 150 days in jail (part of sentence may be served in the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program), two years probation and $2,060 for carrying a concealed weapon (pistol) in a car Aug. ++++++++++++++++, Benton Harbor.
************, 31, +++++++++++, Benton Harbor, 45 days in jail, one year probation and $2,240 for carrying a concealed weapon (pistol) on his person Sept. 11 at ++++++++++
***********, 18, +++++++++++, Benton Harbor, 19 days in jail (credit for 19 days already served), 45 days tether, 18 months probation and $2,000 for possession of a loaded rifle in a vehicle Aug. 10 near ++++++++++, Benton Harbor.
receiving stolen property
*********, 46, +++++++++ Street, Benton Harbor, 1-5 years in prison for receiving and concealing stolen property valued at $1,000 to $20,000, ++++++++++++++, Sodus Township.
*********, 24, ++++++++++++, Coloma, 180 days in jail and $1,520 for receiving and concealing stolen property valued at $1,000 to $20,000, brass bars valued at $!2,000 taken June 10 from +++++++++++++++++, Weesaw Township.
**********, 41, ++++++++++++++, Bangor, 16 days in jail (credit for 16 days already served), two years probation, $4,413 restitution, and $1,320 fine and for attempted receiving stolen property $1,000 to $20,000 brass plaques, flower holders and other items taken July 18 from +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hagar Township.
embezzlement
**********, 37, +++++++++++, Benton Harbor, five days in jail, two years probation, $6,532 restitution, and $2,160 fine and costs for embezzlement by agent or trustee of $1,000 to $20,000, stealing cash and merchandise from July 8 through Aug. 10 from her employer, ++++++++++++++, Benton Township.
***********, 46, +++++++++++, St. Joseph, one year probation, $2,697 restitution, $1,760 fine and costs, and 25 hours of community service for embezzlement by agent or trustee of property valued at $1,000 to $20,000, ++++++++++++++++++, ++++++++, ++++++++ Highway, Benton Township.
Welfare fraud
**********, 31, Stewart Avenue, Benton Harbor, 30 days in jail, 60 days tether, five years probation, $17,765 restitution, and $2,120 fine and costs for welfare fraud over $500, +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++.
**********, 29, ++++++++, Niles, one day in jail, one year probation, $5,825 restitution, and $1,940 fine and costs for welfare fraud over $500, failing to report information to the state Department of Human Services office in Benton Harbor that would affect the amount of public assistance she received from May 1, 2006, through July 31, 2008.
sex offender registration
***********, 43, ++++++++++, Benton Harbor, 90 days in jail and $120 for violating the state sex offender registration law by failing to report an address change on Sept. 11 in Benton Harbor.
***********, 33, +++++++++++, St. Joseph Township, 120 days in jail and $120 for violating the state sex offender registration law by failing to report an address change June 20 in Benton Harbor.
other sentences
**********, 17, Chicago, 240 days in jail and $120 for escape from the Berrien County Juvenile Center, Deans Hill Road, Berrien Township, on Sept. 14.
************, 30, +++++++++++, Benton Harbor, 150 days in jail and $1,420 for aggravated stalking, repeatedly harassing and threatening ********** on Aug. 1 in St. Joseph.
**********, 22, +++++++++++++, Benton Township, 120 days in jail and $120 for attempted possession of a Molotov cocktail (explosive device) May 26 at an apartment at++++++++++++, Benton Township.
*********, 25, ++++++++++, St. Joseph, 61 days in jail (credit for 61 days already served), 45 days tether, two years probation, $600 restitution, and $2,060 fine and costs for larceny of a firearm, stealing a pistol owned by *********** on Aug. 5 from an apartment +++++++++++++, St. Joseph.
************, 22, +++++++++++, Bridgman, 50 days in jail, 18 months probation, $247 restitution, and $2,100 fine and costs for identity theft, obtaining personal information about ************* to use in obtaining money with a financial transaction card.
***********, 28, +++++++++++, Coloma, 90 days in jail and $652 for two counts of writing noaccount checks, a check for $64.13 on June 9 and a check for $95.13 on June 10, both at +++++++++++, Benton Township.
Niles
assault
**********, 55, +++++++++++++, Niles, 90 days in jail, one year probation and $120 for attempted assault with a dangerous weapon (knife) on ******* on Aug. 13 ++++++++++++ Niles.
***********, 18, Marshall, 51 days in jail (credit for 51 days already served), 90 days tether, two years probation, $2,060 and 100 hours of community service for attempted assault with intent to rob while unarmed, ********** on Aug. 17 at ++++++++++++St., Buchanan.
receiving stolen property
**********, 33, ++++++++++, Berrien Springs, 90 days tether, two years probation and $840 for receiving and concealing stolen property valued at $1,000 to $20,000, possessing various personal property on July 11 that was stolen from five vehicles at +++++++++++++++ Niles Township. She was sentenced to pay to $4,670 in restitution, and $840 fine and costs, for a related offense of inducing a minor to commit a felony
Fleeing or resisting police
**********, 41, ++++++++++++++, Niles, 90 days tether, 18 months probation and $1,900 for third-degree fleeing and eluding Niles Officer Scott Swanson on May 17 on +++++++++++++, Niles.
other sentences
**********, 34, Greenwood Village, Colo., $1,100 restitution, and $870 fine and costs for attempted larceny in a building, stealing racing paraphernalia from a trailer July 27 at +++++++++++++, Buchanan Township.
***********, 23, ++++++++++++, Berrien Springs, 60 days tether, 18 months probation and $2,450 for uttering and publishing a stolen check for $50 June 20-30 at ++++++++++++++++, Buchanan Township.