Wednesday, September 30, 2015
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Scott Bowden may have run out of chances.
While entering a guilty plea to a charge that he almost ran down a city police officer, both his father and Judge Lou A. D’Apolito said that Bowden has to make good on this effort to get off of heroin or else he will be in prison and turned away from his family.
“You’re smart enough to know, Scott, this is your last shot,” Judge D’Apolito said Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, before accepting his plea to a fifth-degree felony charge of obstructing justice. “This is your life. There are laws. If you break them, there will be a price.”
Judge D’Apolito agreed to a recommendation by assistant Prosecutor Shawn Burns and defense attorney Ryan Ingram to grant Bowden bond while he awaits sentencing. One condition of his bond is that he is not allowed to leave his father’s house for any reason unless it is for treatment or to go to work with his father. When the judge asked Bowden’s father if he would call the court if he suspects his son is under the influence of drugs, the father said it would not be a problem.
“He’s about at the end of his rope with his family, too, sir,” Bowden’s father said.
Bowden, 30, of Canfield, was arrested June 24 after reports said he almost ran down police Lt. William Ross, who was working a traffic detail at Market Street and Falls Avenue and was out of his cruiser. A car driven by Bowden almost hit him and he was caught after a chase.
Reports said Bowden told police he did not stop when he was being chased because he knew he almost hit an officer, and was throwing drugs out of the car and also was swallowing some.
He was originally indicted on a charge of assault, a fourth degree felony, but a plea agreement was worked out instead. Ingram said it would be hard to prove that Bowden was trying to hit the officer.
“I don’t believe this was an intentional act,” Ingram said. “I believe this was more reckless than anything.”
Sentencing will take place at a later date after a presentence investigation.
Bowden said in court Tuesday he was on drugs at the time and has been off and on heroin for the last several years. Ingram said his client has an appointment to get assessed for drug treatment next week. Bowden told the judge he has been through treatment before and at one time was off of drugs for 18 months. He has several drug and theft offenses on his record and once served three years in prison. Judge D’Apolito asked why he would continue to use drugs after being in prison for so long, and Bowden said his addiction was too powerful.
“I don’t want to use it as an excuse, but my drug problem got the best of me,” Bowden said.
Other conditions of Bowden’s bond state he is not allowed to drive and he is to have no contact with any of the people with whom he once did drugs. Judge D’Apolito told Bowden’s father if any of those people are around, to call the court immediately and he will take care of the problem.
Bowden also is subject to random drug testing, and the judge said if he has one positive test, his bond will be revoked and he most likely will go to prison.
“If I have to put you in prison to save your life, I will,” Judge D’Apolito said.