Krichbaum strikes right note with sentencing of mugger

Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court echoed the sentiments of all law-abiding citizens, especially those in the city of Youngstown, when he told criminal Jamal Bullock, "Sorry doesn't do me any good. You violated the law in a big way. Sorry just doesn't pay the rent."
The statement should be emblazoned on the door of every courtroom in the county. Indeed, it should become the guiding principle of the Youngstown Municipal Court, which has long been criticized by mayors past and present for failing to treat professional criminals harshly enough.
Mayor George M. McKelvey, like his predecessor, Patrick J. Ungaro, has publicly berated the municipal judges for not taking individuals with long records off the streets of his city. McKelvey has made no secret of the fact that he wants an unequivocal message delivered from the benches: Commit a crime in Youngstown and you could lose your freedom for a long, long time.
Judge Krichbaum certainly struck the right note when he addressed Bullock.
To understand his disdain for Bullock and co-defendant Christopher McBride, consider the crimes for which they pleaded guilty: three counts of aggravated robbery, three counts of robbery and single counts of burglary and aggravated robbery. The two also pleaded guilty to firearm specifications. In other words, they used a gun to commit the crimes.
Their lawyers plea bargained with the prosecutor, resulting in the dismissal of six counts of thefts against each of them.
Long prison term
Bullock, 31, of Liberty Road, received a 28-year sentence in state prison for his role in the August 2002 muggings. McBride, 21, of Berwick Avenue, was to have been sentenced Thursday by Judge Krichbaum, but the session was postponed because his lawyer, Ronald Yarwood, was involved in a jury trial in another courtroom. The matter was reset for Tuesday.
Lest anyone think the judge was too harsh, consider what Bullock would have received had he gone to trial and lost: 72 years in prison. That's what Judge Krichbaum said he intended to hand down.
It is also important to keep in mind that Bullock was "no stranger to the court system and doesn't appear to have been a choir boy," in the words of his lawyer, Robert J. Rohrbaugh. Indeed, he was on parole for an aggravated robbery conviction when he and McBride committed the crimes for which they're being sent away.
During their rampage last summer in Wick Park, they attacked five people, including the Rev. Edward Noga, pastor of St. Patrick Church on the South Side. Father Noga is a strong advocate for Youngstown and is active in its revitalization effort.
A day later, Bullock and McBride mugged a couple on Melvina Avenue on the East Side, then robbed a Campbell woman in her home. The woman was defenseless.
Judge Krichbaum certainly reflected the anger that has permeated the community because criminals have had free rein in Youngstown for so long: "I don't know how you could do something like that, and then come in here and say you're sorry."
We know how people like Bullock and McBride can do the things they do: They have no conscience and arrested morals. For that, they and others of their ilk do not deserve to live in civil society.
Judge Krichbaum has struck a home run for all law-abiding citizens who are fed up with the criminal justice system's revolving door.