Trumbull prosecutor backs bill

Two men convicted of assaulting a defendant were sentenced to 10 days of work release.

By ED RUNYAN

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

COLUMBUS — Saying there should be a “no-nonsense approach” taken to those who commit violent acts inside court buildings, Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins testified in support of legislation that would make such acts a felony offense.

Watkins testified to the House Criminal Justice Committee, which held the hearing Thursday on legislation sponsored by state Rep. Tom Letson of Warren, D-64th, that would increase penalties for anyone who enters a court building and assaults or seriously threatens someone.

Letson said he proposed the legislation because of two episodes that occurred in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, and because of other violent acts elsewhere in Ohio court buildings.

What happened

The primary example occurred March 15, 2006, when three Warren family members assaulted a handcuffed defendant who was awaiting a hearing in Judge John M. Stuard’s courtroom. They were charged with misdemeanor offenses and convicted in March.

Sulthan Honzu and Lewis West were convicted of misdemeanor assault, and Victoria West was convicted of inciting to violence for their part in assault of Jason Howard of Liberty. The three are relatives of four former Warren residents found dead in Columbus, and they blamed Howard for the deaths. Howard was later sentenced to 44 years in prison for other crimes.

Honzu and Lewis West were ordered to serve a 10-day work-release sentence, so they would be confined when not working. Each also received 170-day suspended jail terms, fined $1,000 with $500 suspended, and placed on two years’ probation. Judge Terry Ivancheck sentenced Victoria West to a suspended 90 days in jail and placed her on one year’s probation.

In the other local occurrence, Michael A. Sause of Youngstown was convicted of disorderly conduct earlier this month in Warren Municipal Court and fined $50 and court costs by Judge Thomas P. Gysegem. This was for a February episode in Judge Andrew Logan’s Common Pleas courtroom. Sause had charged toward a defendant moments after the defendant was acquitted of raping Sause’s daughter.

Sause was Tasered and brought under control without injury to the defendant.

Judge’s testimony

Judge Colleen M. O’Toole, of the Warren-based 11th District Court of Appeals, testified Thursday that the legislation is “an important step toward increasing public confidence in the safety and security of the courts, which will serve, in turn, to better the justice dispensed by those courts.”

The legislation awaits a possible committee vote to determine whether it will be sent to the full House.

A felony offense would be punishable by six to 12 months in prison and a $2,500 fine, instead of the current first-degree misdemeanor punishment of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Letson said the primary goal is to create a greater deterrent for anyone thinking about acting up in court. He said he believes the harsher consequences of a felony conviction might cause people to “think twice” before becoming violent.

runyan@vindy.com