Friday, December 21, 2001
A loud-music charge from an arrest in July is still pending.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- When Lamar Adams turned 18, he began racking up loud-music charges.
Now 20, Adams has five convictions, one pending since July and one filed this week.
So far, Adams' loud music has cost him $1,600 in fines.
Adams, of Granite Street, was placed on 18 months' nonreporting probation in September 2000 by Municipal Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr. for his fourth conviction. The judge fined him $600, sentenced him to 60 days in jail, suspended 45 days and allowed Adams to spend weekends in jail for the remaining 15 days.
Municipal Judge Robert P. Milich placed Adams on two years' nonreporting probation in June for his fifth loud-music conviction. The judge fined Adams $400, gave him 60 days in jail and suspended them all.
Probation violation: Adams' fifth conviction was a violation of his probation to Judge Douglas. When a probation violation occurs, a judge can impose the entire suspended jail time.
His sixth loud-music case has been pending in Judge Douglas' court since July.
The judge said Thursday that there was a constitutional challenge to the charge and he has taken the case under advisement and not reached a decision.
A sixth conviction would mean that Adams has violated his probation to Judge Douglas for the second time and violated his probation to Judge Milich.
Ordinance language: The city ordinance, meanwhile, was revamped in February to require that police hear the loud music at least 50 feet from the vehicle.
The ordinance says that a judge may order forfeiture of the sound equipment on the first or second offense but must order forfeiture on third and subsequent offenses. There's no record to indicate that Adams was ordered to forfeit his sound equipment.
For second and subsequent loud-music offenses, a judge may impose up to 60 days in jail.
Fines for a first offense are $50 to $250. A second offense nets a mandatory fine of $500. For third and subsequent offenses, the mandatory fine is $600.
Latest arrest: Adams' seventh arrest on a loud music charge took place Wednesday on the city's South Side.
Patrolmen Matt Willis and Brad Blackburn heard loud music coming from Adams' Chevrolet Caprice as he drove north in the 3200 block of Market Street. Adams pulled into a gas station and the officers approached, telling him to turn down the music.
A check by the officers through the index operator downtown revealed that Adams has no driving privileges. His license is under suspension for failure to have insurance.
Adams appeared for arraignment Thursday in municipal court on charges of driving under suspension and loud music.
Judge Douglas released Adams on his own recognizance and set a pretrial for Feb. 27 in Judge Milich's court.
Municipal court records show the disposition of Adams' earliest loud-music cases:
UNov. 17, 1999 -- $100 fine by Magistrate Lynn Sfara Bruno.
UDec. 21, 1999 -- $300 fine by Magistrate Andrew G. Bresko.
UMarch 20, 2000 -- $200 fine by Sfara Bruno.
meade@vindy.com