By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Despite the negativity many police departments have received recently, Jazmon Binion believed the Galion Police Department acted exemplary during her arrest.
“If you saw the way the officers handled themselves around her even though she was an idiot,” noted attorney Brad Starkey, who was speaking on Binion’s behalf. He added that the officers handled her arrest with courtesy.
“They pride themselves on their professionalism,” Judge Sean Leuthold remarked before turning his attention to Binion. “You’re behavior is inexcusable.”
Binion, who pleaded guilty to two felony charges in Crawford County Common Pleas Court Wednesday afternoon, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting a police officer and 12 months for vandalism. The sentences will be run concurrently for a total of 18 months. Binion must also pay $1,148.59 in restitution to the Galion Police Department.
Leuthold believed Binion would seek an early release from prison but warned her that he would only consider it if she wrote a letter of apology to the Galion Police Department.
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Nicole Sewell and Judge Leuthold didn’t get along easily during her hearing Wednesday afternoon but the 40-year-old woman said it was because she was upset.
Leuthold revoked Sewell’s intervention when she admitted to being convicted for an OVI charge in Upper Sandusky Municipal Court on June 26. He then placed her on community control for five years with the condition that she spend 30 days in the county jail.
“I can tell by your attitude that you don’t think any of this stuff should be happening,” Leuthold told Sewell. He reminded her that she would be prison eligible from that point on.
“You’ve been given a couple of breaks already,” Leuthold said, adding that he would normally sentence someone to 90 days in the county jail rather than her 30-day sentence. “I’m not inclined to give a third break.”
Sewell will first serve 30 days in the Wyandot County jail for her OVI charge then will report for her 30-day Crawford County jail sentence on Jan. 8, 2016. She must pay a $1,250 fine and had her driver’s license suspended for six months.
Cody Goossens may not be prison eligible but Judge Leuthold warned the 36-year-old Mt. Vernon man that it could easily change if he makes one wrong step on community control.
Goossens was sentenced to five years on community control after having pleaded guilty to drug possession at an earlier hearing. He must complete a drug and alcohol assessment, pay a $1,250 fine, and forfeit drug-related property currently being held to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. His driver’s license was also suspended for six months.
Goossens will be transferred to the Knox County probation department.
“Whether you’re in Knox County or not, I make the decisions,” Leuthold reminded Goossens. “You screw up down there, they’ll let me know.”
Twenty-three-year-old Cody Frazier of Bucyrus was sentenced to five years on community control for a fifth degree drug possession charge. He was ordered to complete a drug and alcohol assessment, to pay a $1,250, to forfeit drug-related items being held to the New Washington Police Department, and received a six-month driver’s license suspension.
Thirty-three-year-old Randy Rittenour pleaded guilty to felony five drug possession and was placed on probation for five years.
Natalee McIntyre is being held on a $250,000 after the judge heard allegations that she violated her community control. The 20-year-old Bucyrus woman allegedly failed to report to her supervising officer since Sept. 9 and admitted to using heroin on Sept. 25.
McIntyre pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree drug possession charge in August and was ordered to serve five years on probation.