Michael Pavlik Jr. gets more time to defend against felony charge

YOUNGSTOWN — Michael Pavlik Jr., brother of middleweight boxing champion Kelly Pavlik, has been given a little more time to prepare his defense against a felony charge filed against him earlier this year.

Pavlik, 33, appeared Tuesday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, for a pretrial hearing on a felony charge of domestic violence. The charge is a felony because the alleged victim in the case was pregnant at the time of the incident.

Gabriel Wildman, an assistant county prosecutor, told the court that negotiations between prosecutors and the defense have been going forward and an offer of a plea agreement made. Pavlik, through his attorney Ben Joltin, had not accepted that agreement.

Joltin asked the court if he could have the case continued for several weeks because is he trying to locate a witness that can rebut the anticipated testimony of the female victim in the case.

Joltin also told the court that there are witnesses that may be able to offer testimony toward Pavlik’s knowledge, or lack thereof, of the victim’s pregnancy. He also said there are juvenile witnesses to the incident who need to be evaluated.

Judge Krichbaum questioned why all the preparation had not been completed prior to the pretrial date, but ultimately did grant the continuance in the case.

Read more in Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.con