By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
In cases Judge Sean Leuthold termed a “sad situation,” both parents of a 16-month-old child were sentenced to prison Wednesday in Common Pleas Court for drug-related probation violations.
While 27-year-old Justin Stratton sat at the defendant’s table, 24-year-old Melinda Perkins sat in shackles and wearing a matching orange jail jump suit in the row of courtroom chairs immediately behind Stratton and his attorney.
Stratton was charged with violating his probation for allegedly admitting to using heroin and being in possession of drug paraphernalia. Stratton again admitted to those allegations on Wednesday.
Stratton was on probation after being granted early release from prison. He had originally been sentenced to 36 months for a third-degree felony robbery conviction.
Stratton had twice been denied early release, but it was finally granted in November of 2013 by Judge Russell Wiseman.
Judge Leuthold poured through letters urging the release, including those from Perkins and her parents.
The judge asked Perkins if Stratton was paying her child support. Although Perkins admitted he wasn’t, she insisted, “He’s a very good father.”
Stratton interrupted and asked why he should pay child support when he had the child “three-quarters of the time.”
The judge finally said, “Mr. Stratton has not learned his lesson,” and re-imposed the balance of his 36-month prison sentence.
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Perkins then took the same seat at the defendant’s table to answer to charges she had violated probation by refusing a drug test and associating with Stratton.
Leuthold dropped the charge involving association with a known felon and Perkins admitted to refusing a drug test. She was on probation for a 2015 conviction for fourth-degree felony theft.
In her conversation with the judge, Perkins insisted she was clean during her pregnancy because she had had voluntarily admitted herself to rehab. But she conceded she only started using heroin after she started a relationship with Stratton following his early release from prison.
“He brought it around, but it was my choice,” Perkins said.
The judge commended Perkins for taking responsibility for her own actions, but then noted, “Now we have a child being raised by your parents,” as Perkins broke down in tears and sobbed with her head in her lap.
Leuthold then sentenced Perkins to 15 months in prison out of a possible 18-month maximum sentence.
Perkins immediately stopped crying and asked about getting credit for time she has spent in the county jail. The judge assured her she would get the appropriate credit.
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