Man, 18, sentenced in menacing case

July 10, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Troy Adkins caught a break in municipal court Thursday in his first adult court appearance.

Judge Elizabeth Kobly also told him it will be the last one he ever gets.

Adkins, 18, of East Boston Avenue, was sentenced to time served on a menacing charge for threatening to burn down his mother’s house on East Boston and kill everybody inside June 28. He entered a plea of no contest to the charge, and Judge Kobly found him guilty.

Adkins has been in juvenile court several times, according to his attorney, Rhys Cartwright-Jones; a police officer who is familiar with the case said he has been in juvenile detention at least six times.

Judge Kobly was inclined to have Adkins serve the remaining 18 days of a 30-day jail sentence, which is the maximum jail sentence he can receive for menacing, because Adkins refused to say he did anything wrong. But Cartwright-Jones argued that his client needed a mental-health assessment because of his juvenile record.

Adkins’ sister spoke to the judge and said her brother told her he suffers from post-tramuatic stress disorder because of his several stints in what she termed “child prison.”

But Judge Kobly said she did not want to change her mind until Cartwright-Jones asked for a moment with his client. After they conferred, Adkins admitted he made the threats and said he was sorry.

“I let my anger get the best of me,” Adkins said. “I take full responsibility.”

Adkins said he served time in juvenile detention for assault.

“You have a short fuse, don’t you?” Judge Kobly asked him.

Judge Kobly was still skeptical, but Cartwright-Jones said if he could get him to take full responsibility after a short conversation, a mental-health specialist could do even more for him.

“If after five seconds of talking to him I can get him to open up and be honest, just think what a psychologist can do,” Cartwright-Jones said.

Besides the time served, Adkins also was placed on 18 months’ probation and must receive a mental-health assessment and anger-management counseling. The judge told Adkins to take advantage of the help.

“You’re either going to grow up today or not,” Judge Kobly told him. “If you want to keep acting like a punk, go ahead.”