Prison guard sentenced to anger management

YOUNGSTOWN — An Ohio State Penitentiary corrections officer found guilty of disorderly conduct, reduced from assault, must attend anger management counseling.

Michael Robinson, 42, of Marion, decided to forgo a jury trial Monday in municipal court and entered a no contest plea to the disorderly charge. A municipal court jury previously found him guilty of resisting arrest.

Bret Hartup, assistant city prosecutor, called Robinson’s conduct “abhorrent” during the arrest and recommended 45 days electronically monitored house arrest on the resisting conviction. He said the victim in the assault case did not want to speak prior to sentencing.

Bo Pritchard, Robinson’s lawyer, asked for leniency, saying Robinson served 11 years in the Army and was selected Officer of the Year in 2006 at the prison. In 42 years, Robinson maintained a clean record, the lawyer said.

Pritchard said he’d like to see both convictions treated as one case for purposes of expungement.

The assault and resisting arrest happened at the supermax prison on Coitsville-Hubbard Road. The assault involved the grabbing of another corrections officer in September 2006; the arrest related to that charge took place in April 2007. The charges against Robinson, hired at the prison in August 1999, were investigated by troopers from the Ohio State Patrol post in Southington.

Robinson told Judge Elizabeth A. Kobly that he takes pride in what he does, adding that’s why he was voted officer of the year. He said he put himself in a predicament.

“You’re going to have days when people push you to the limit,” Judge Kobly told Robinson. Of resisting arrest, she said, “To say you reacted badly is an understatement.”

The judge said there are days when people in court push her to the limit but she is expected to act in an appropriate manner.

Robinson must attend anger management counseling and serve nine months monitored time, previously called non reporting probation. The judge also imposed fines and jury fees of $1,895.

Robinson’s actions were investigated internally in 2006 and he received no discipline, a prison spokesman said after the arrest. Had he received jail time, the warden would have considered how to approve the time off.

After court Monday, Robinson had no comment.

Pritchard said the original incident was overblown and termed what happened as horseplay. He said there was no intent by his client to physically harm anyone.