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Defendant gets 2 years; lawyer to pay $500 fine
YOUNGSTOWN — Judge Timothy E. Franken sentenced Noah Williams to two years in prison for his role in a Jan. 14 payday cash advance robbery and then fined Williams’ lawyer, Martin E. Yavorcik, $500 for contempt of court.
The judge imposed the fine because Yavorcik failed to appear in court for Williams’ previously scheduled sentencing on Oct. 29.
Williams, of Kent, and Mark C. Watts, of Cleveland, both 19, were indicted on an aggravated robbery charge, and both pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of robbery.
Judge Franken, of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, sentenced Watts to five years’ probation and fined him $5,000 in August.
The prosecution originally recommended probation for Williams, but, on Wednesday, Jennifer McLaughlin, assistant county prosecutor, called for a two-year prison term for Williams because new armed robbery and kidnapping charges were lodged against him in Summit County while he was free on his own recognizance.
Police said Watts actually robbed Central Cash on Market Street in Boardman, and Williams drove the getaway sport-utility vehicle, which police stopped shortly after the crime.
After sentencing Williams, Judge Franken conducted a contempt-of-court hearing for Yavorcik.
Yavorcik told the judge he didn’t attend last week’s scheduled sentencing hearing because he was busy with many things, including campaigning for county prosecutor.
Yavorcik’s secretary called Atty. Doug Taylor’s secretary to arrange for Taylor to cover Williams’ sentencing, the judge said.
However, the judge said Taylor declined to represent Williams at the sentencing because Taylor believed he was insufficiently informed about the case and Taylor didn’t know Williams, who was facing up to five years in prison for the cash advance robbery.
“You weren’t here. You had no excuse for not being here, so I am finding you in contempt and fining you $500,” the judge told Yavorcik, who has 30 days to pay.
Yavorcik was the unsuccessful independent challenger to Democratic County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains, who was re-elected Tuesday.