Man told he has to control temper

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A judge told Rydell Duke just before he was sentenced Tuesday that he needs to get a handle on his temper – and do so quickly.

Just before he was sentenced to a year in prison in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on two domestic-violence charges as well as others, Judge Lou D’Apolito told the 27-year-old Duke, who also had a domestic-violence case in 2012, that if does not find a way to control his temper, someone will be seriously hurt.

“If any of these things get out of hand, someone is going to get hurt, and I’m not going to let that happen,” Judge D’Apolito said.

Duke pleaded guilty to fleeing and eluding, driving under suspension, possession of heroin and driving under the influence in an incident with Austintown police in October. The domestic-violence counts are from two incidents this year involving the mother of one of his two children, including Jan. 16, when city police officers were called to a hair salon in the 3400 block of Market Street about 2:50 p.m., where a 22-year-old woman told them she was in a chair getting her hair done when Duke came in and was upset that the woman had blocked him from seeing their 9-month-old child at a day care.

According to a statement by the victim, she told Duke she did not want him around their son because of some of the criminal conduct he was charged with. Reports said he pushed her out of the chair and threatened to kill her before he left.

Duke was not arrested until March 4 in that case.

Duke said the confrontations with the woman centered around his wanting to see the son he had with her. He also has a child with another woman and is married now, but his wife is not the mother of either of the children.

“You’re a busy guy,” Judge D’Apolito said.

“I’ve made some bad choices,” Duke said.

His lawyers, Ed Hartwig and Sam Amendolara, both said that Duke has problems with drugs, and Duke told the judge he was on drugs for both the domestic-violence incidents to which he pleaded guilty.

Duke apologized to his family and his wife for his actions.

“I reacted emotionally,” Duke said.

Assistant Prosecutor Jennifer Paris said she does not object to judicial release after Duke spends six months in prison, as long as he is enrolled in treatment programs for his substance abuse and also to learn how to control his anger.