YOUNGSTOWN Jail stay dismays officials

Sentences for gun offenses must be stiff to be a deterrent, a U.S. attorney says.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Joseph L. Sanders could have spent 180 days in jail for carrying a concealed weapon.
Instead, he got three.
The 31-year-old Dryden Avenue man, who sometimes uses the alias Joseph Williams, was arrested over the weekend as part of the Gun Reduction Interdiction Project. GRIP has been touted by U.S. Attorney Greg White and others as the way to get guns and their users off the streets, some to face federal prosecution.
After a press conference last week to announce GRIP, White said that common pleas and municipal judges had been made aware of the project. He stressed that judges are among those, such as police, prosecutors and residents, who set community standards.
The law is nothing if it's not consistent, White said.
At arraignment Monday, Sanders pleaded no contest to carrying a concealed weapon. The charge was a misdemeanor because the gun found on him was not loaded; if loaded, the charge would have been a felony.
Municipal Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr. sentenced Sanders to 90 days in jail, suspended 87 and gave him credit for three days served. The judge fined Sanders $100 and placed him on nine months' probation.
White said Tuesday that he was disappointed to hear about the decision in the Sanders case. "Unless there's a consistent message, there's not much opportunity to stop the violence," he said.
City Prosecutor Dionne Almasy, who attended the GRIP press conference last week, had no comment about the sentence, other than to say it speaks for itself.
"If these are the sentences being utilized, it's self-evident how effective GRIP will be," said Maj. Michael Budd at the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department. "I'm sure the citizens want to hear that [Sanders] spent 72 hours in jail."
Judge Douglas was not immediately available for comment.
Chief's view
Police Chief Robert E. Bush Jr. said that not all criminals meet the guidelines to prosecute federally so it's important to get gun users off the street at the local level. Sanders, for example, could have been put away for 180 days, which spans beyond the city's dangerous summer months, the chief said.
Bush said he agrees with White that residents are among those who have a say in setting community standards.
"Let's say a three-day sentence is given. The people determine if that's acceptable," Bush said. "They can voice displeasure at the ballot box, on radio talk shows, at court watches and block watches, in letters to the editor and editorials."
The chief said he tells his officers that their job ends with the arrest -- they are not judge and jury.
"Hopefully, the courts will make decisions more agreeable, but it's not our call. We'd like to see [gun criminals] dealt with more harshly," Bush said. "We need to get guns off the street."
Prior convictions
Sanders' municipal court records show that he owes $1,427 in fines and costs on 11 cases. The convictions, which date to 1995, include for driving under suspension, theft, escape (amended to attempted), public indecency, receiving stolen property (amended to unauthorized use of a vehicle) and more.
When Sanders was given the opportunity to do community service in lieu of fines and costs, he didn't, said Dan Panigall, head of the probation department.
Reports show that Patrolmen Marc Gillette and Mike Anderson approached Sanders at the Stiles Market late Saturday night. The officers had received complaints about continued drug and gun activity at the East Side store.
Sanders, when he saw the officers, began to walk away and disregarded their order to stop. Anderson caught up with Sanders and, during a pat-down search, found a .22-caliber revolver.
Sanders told police that he bought the gun for $10 at the Stiles Market because he is "having a beef with someone."
meade@vindy.com