TALKING POINTS MEMO: THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED US AGAIN

Out of all the defendants in Chester County who could be considered the "poster child" of the dark side of Chester County's court system, Michael Shayne Boyd would be that person.

Boyd, 20, of Glenmoore, was recently arrested by Upper Uwchlan Police and charged with Aggravated Assault and related offenses after allegedly stabbing two men at his home last week.

To give you an idea as to how the system failed to protect the public from a man who could be considered a "danger to society", then this would be such a case. Here is a timeline of Boyd's exemplary record as an adult:

• August 20, 2007: Boyd is arrested by Ofc. Stephen McNally of the Uwchlan Police and charged with 31 counts of Harassment along with one count each of Aggravated Assault, Possession of an Instrument of Crime, Terroristic Threats, and Criminal Mischief after smashing the screen door of a former friend's house with the butt of a shotgun and subsequently sending over 30 threatening text messages and phone calls to the victim and his mother.
• August 21, 2007: Boyd's bail is set at $20,000 cash by Lionville District Judge Stanley Scott.
• August 23, 2007: Boyd's bail is reduced to $1,000 cash by Judge Scott (it should be noted that it's not entirely clear if bail was posted, but it's a pretty good bet that it was).
• October 2, 2007: At his preliminary hearing in front of Judge Scott, Boyd waives his preliminary hearing on one count of Possession of an Instrument of Crime and one count of Criminal Mischief; all other charges are withdrawn.
• March 17, 2008: Boyd is arrested in St. Lawrence County in Upstate New York and charged with drug and weapons offenses. As of this point, a trial date in that case is still pending. Boyd is released after posting a $20,000 bond.
• March 24, 2008: Boyd pleads guilty to the summary charge of Criminal Mischief in front of Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony Sarcione. Boyd is sentenced to 90 days probation and ordered to pay a $200 fine plus $200 in restitution to the victim (CP-15-CR-0004053-2007).
• April 11, 2008: Boyd is arrested by WCPD after an incident in which he and another man allegedly threatened to neighbors at the Seven Oaks Apartments on East Marshall Street. Boyd is brought to 15-1-04 for arraignment, charged with PWID, Terroristic Threats, Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Prohibited Offensive Weapon, Simple Assault, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. In a rare sign of common sense from District Judge Gwenn S. Knapp, Boyd's bail is set at $250,000.
• April 18, 2008: The PWID charges against Boyd are withdrawn after the Commonwealth admits that they could not prove that Boyd, despite being in possession of a large amount of pills, had intended to sell or distribute them; Boyd waives his preliminary hearing on the remaining charges, however, bail remains set at $250,000.
• May 13, 2008: State Police at Embreeville file charges of Possession of a Firearm Without a License, Firearm Ownership - Duty of Other Persons, and Criminal Conspiracy after allegedly giving money to a friend to purchase a firearm in November 2007.
• June 17, 2008: Charges in the firearms case filed by State Police are dismissed by Judge Scott; Boyd, however, remains in custody while awaiting trial on the West Chester case (15-2-07, CR-0000107-08).
• July 11, 2008: Boyd enters a no contest plea to one count of Terroristic Threats in front of Judge Sarcione and is sentenced to 3-to-23 months at CCP, fined $10, and paroled immediately. Boyd is found to be in violation of his probation on the Uwchlan case and is subsequently re-sentenced to 90 days in CCP, concurrent to the West Chester case (CP-15-CR-0001604-2008).
• July 18, 2008: Ofc. Barry Williams of the Marple Township Police in Delaware County arrests Boyd and charges him with DUI/2nd Tier (BAC between .10-.159), Restrictions on Alcoholic Beverages, Minor Prohibited from Operating a Motor Vehicle With Alcohol, Scattering Rubbish, and Careless Driving. Boyd is cited and released on summons.
• July 24, 2008: Boyd allegedly leads Uwchlan Police on a vehicle pursuit which ends when he is taken into custody at gunpoint. The basis for the traffic stop was a bench warrant on a parole violation, most likely stemming from the DUI charges in Marple. Ofc. Williams files the DUI complaint in Marple District Court; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 9 at 08:30 (32-1-27, CR-0000149-08).
• July 25, 2008: Ofc. Philip Owen of the Uwchlan Police files charges of Fleeing or Eluding Police, Resisting Arrest, Possession of a Prohibited Offensive Weapon, and Accidents Involving Damage to an Attended Vehicle. A prelim is scheduled for October 7 in front of Judge Scott (15-2-07, CR-0000144-08).
• July 25, 2008: State Police re-file the weapons charges in Lionville District Court that were dismissed on June 17.
• August 5, 2008: Boyd appears in front of Judge Sarcione for a violation of parole Level I hearing. Boyd is released from custody after the following order is issued, according to on-line court records: "Move to a [M]orrissey II hrg and released (sic) the defendant from custody after the defendant's address is verified. Within one week of release, the defendant is to undergo a drug/alcohol and mental health evalution. Additionally, the defendant is to make an application to attend college and provide verification that he has applied for two jobs per week."
• August 8, 2008: Boyd posts 10 percent of $5,000 bail on the two active cases pending in front of Judge Scott.
• August 26, 2008: Boyd is ordered held for trial on the weapons case; the case is assigned to Common Pleas Court Judge Howard F. Riley, Jr. with a formal arraignment date scheduled for September 11 (CP-15-CR-0003187-2008).
• August 29, 2008: Ofc. Brian Gathercole of the Upper Uwchlan Police responds to Boyd's house on Styer Road after two 18-year-old men from Coatesville accuse Boyd of stabbing them. Both victims are transported to Reading Hospital. The two men were en route to pick up two female acquaintances who claimed that they were "unconfortable with Boyd and his friend." Boyd is charged with Criminal Attempt to Commit Criminal Homicide, Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, REAP, Possession of an Instrument of Crime, and Disorderly Conduct. Boyd is arraigned by Downingtown District Judge Rita Arnold who sets bail at $75,000 cash. A prelim is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday in front of Judge Scott (15-2-07, CR-0000161-08).

This whole chain of events raises enough questions that it should make the public wonder what the hell is going on at the Courthouse. To wit:

• How can the Chester County Bail Agency continue to justify recommending bail amounts so ridiculously low when a defendant keeps racking up more charges and endangers the community? If you believe the spin about not wanting to overcrowd Chester County Prison, then I have a bridge in Palmyra for sale. Once the prison expansion project is complete, then that's no longer an excuse.
• How can a parole officer who is presumably familiar with a criminal history such as Boyd's be willing to allow such a dangerous person to be released from custody when he has three criminal cases pending in Pennsylvania and one criminal case pending in New York State? And why did Judge Sarcione, who generally throws the book at criminals who violate parole or probation, let Boyd out in the first place?
• To that end, how is it that authorities in the State of New York haven't filed any type of detainer against Boyd considering that he had racked up five new criminal charges since he was arrested in March?
• How is it that Delaware County authorities didn't have the sense to arraign Boyd after the DUI arrest in Marple? I understand that Pennsylvania's Rules of Criminal Procedures generally allow for defendants to be released on summons after a DUI arrest, however, this should not have been one such case.
• How surreal is it when Judge Knapp, who this writer has repeatedly criticized for setting relatively low or even unsecured bails for defendants with lengthy criminal histories, actually had the right idea on dealing with Boyd? I don't think anyone who is familar with the court system in Chester County had any doubt over how Judge Arnold was going to deal with Boyd.

So many questions with seemingly few answers. And, as a result, two young men from the Coatesville area have their lives altered thanks to the alleged actions of a man who should never have been out on the streets to begin with.

Some system, huh?

KNUCKLEHEAD REPORT - 08/31/08

He's at it again...

Khye Rivas, 19, of West Chester, has yet again run afoul of the police, to the shock of virtually no one. Even more shocking was the fact that Rivas had been paroled nearly three weeks prior to his latest arrest.

But, when you continue to act like a knucklehead, that's what tends to happen.

On August 21, Ofc. John DiBattista charged Rivas with Defiant Trespassing following an incident in the East End. This latest arrest comes on the heels of his parole from a similar incident last year.

On March 16, Cpl. Ryan Collins charged Rivas with Defiant Trespassing after he was spotted on the property of the Apartments for Modern Living on South Matlack Street, a property to which he had been previously banned from. Rivas' bail was initially set at $2,500 unsecured, which, as typically seems to be the case at 15-1-04, proved to be a mistake.

Rivas failed to appear for a March 28 prelim on that case and a bench warrant was issued. On May 3, Rivas was taken into custody on the warrant and committed to CCP by East Goshen District Judge Chester Darlington in lieu of $2,500 cash bail.

During that time, WCPD narcotics officers alleged that Rivas was selling drugs in the West End; a criminal complaint was filed in Judge Bruno's court on August 14. A few days later, Rivas surrendered on that warrant and was released on $5,000 unsecured bail. A prelim in that case is scheduled for September 9 (15-1-01, CR-0000198-08; WCPD #20080416M0070).

On July 16, Rivas appeared in front of Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Gavin and was sentenced to 1 year probation after pleading guilty to the Defiant Trespassing charge (CP-15-CR-0001852-2008).

Rivas was also found to be in violation of his parole from a prior PWID conviction stemming from a July 2007 ped stop near the Apartments for Modern Living. Rivas was sentenced to 3 months at CCP on the parole violation and was released from Pocopson on August 3 (CP-15-CR-0003026-2007).

So, naturally, Rivas decides to break the law again.

Rivas was arraigned at 15-1-04 and committed after failing to post 10 percent of $5,000; a prelim in that case is scheduled for September 12 (15-1-04, CR-0000285-08). It appears as though a parole detainer has been lodged against him, so Rivas will be cooling his heels at the Pocopson Hilton for a little while...

Speaking of which, we bring you the case of one Chavez Beckett. Beckett, 29, of Coatesville, had been cited with Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphanalia, and Possession of a Controlled Substance after a January 10 ped stop behind the Star Social Club on the 200 block of East Market Street.

At the prelim at 15-1-04, the Commonwealth botched the case by failing to present evidence that Beckett was in possession of drug paraphanalia or a pill that tested positive for MDMA. As such, the paraphanalia and simple possession charges were dismissed at District Court, with the marijuana charge being held for Common Pleas Court.

On June 16, as part of yet another summary plea cooked up by the District Attorney's office (one of these days, I'd like to do a count of how many criminal cases filed by WCPD end up in summary pleas in Common Pleas Court; there are simply way too many for my liking), Beckett was allowed to plead guilty to a summary charge of Disorderly Conduct, pay a $10 fine, court costs, and the $105 Lima Lab fee and that closed out his case (CP-15-CR-0001340-2008).

Well, is it any surprise that Beckett took advantage of this latest break (undoubtedly helped by the way the Commonwealth botched the case from the beginning) and got himself in trouble with the police again?

On Friday, Ofc. Tim Parker of the Valley Police filed a complaint in Valley District Court charging Beckett with Terroristic Threats, Harassment, and Disorderly Conduct. An arraignment in that case is pending (15-1-05, CR-0000173-08)...

Last week, Unplugged reported on the case involving one Andrew John Ray, who was arrested by Tredyffrin Police after he allegedly threatened a Commonwealth witness to a burglary of a bar in Willistown; Ray was convicted and sentenced on just last month in front of Common Pleas Court Judge Howard F. Riley, Jr.

Ray's co-conspirator, Merritt Neil Dudas, 19, of Phoenixville, was scheduled to appear in front of Judge Riley last week. However, a bench warrant had been issued for Dudas' arrest on June 20 by Judge William Mahon after Dudas was found to be in violation of terms of his bail bond (which was $7,500 unsecured).

On Friday, Dudas was taken into custody, as Judge Riley quashed the warrant and remanded the defendant to CCP. In true knucklehead fashion, it appears as though Dudas may have more legal issues ahead of him.

Ofc. Bernard Martin of the East Pikeland Police filed a complaint in Phoenixville District Court, charging Dudas with Possession of a Prohibited Offensive Weapon. Without reading the complaint, it would appear that Ofc. Martin executed the warrant and found some type of weapon in Dudas' possession.

An arraignment is pending in front of Phoenixville District Judge Ted Michaels (15-2-01, CR-0000293-08)...

I am certainly aware that Michael Shayne Boyd, the defendant from Upper Uwchlan who can't seem to stay out of trouble either in Pennsylvania or New York State, was again arrested, this time for allegedly stabbing two men at his home.

And, I'm certainly hearing some grumblings about how he was even allowed to be free in the first place.

A commentary on that will be forthcoming.

ODDS AND ENDS / KNUCKLEHEAD REPORT - 08/30/08

From the "It was inevitable" department, Unplugged presents the case of one Ricky Jay Banks.

Banks, 41, of York, is currently awaiting trial on charges of PWID, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and two counts of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility stemming from alleged drug transactions in March which were investigated by by Chester County Detectives (CP-15-CR-0002232-2008) and charges of Defiant Trespassing and Criminal Mischief following a May 20 incident investigated by Ofc. Gerry DiNunzio (CP-15-CR-0002127-2008). Both cases are listed for trial late next month in front of Judge Thomas Gavin.

Banks had been held at CCP in lieu of $5,000 cash bail on the drug charges, however, he was released on $7,500 unsecured bail after his prelim in that case on June 6 at 15-1-04. So it shouldn't come as any shock that less than three months after getting another undeserved break from East Union Street, Banks is back in trouble again.

Last weekend, Ofc. John DiBattista took a report of an assault in the East End in which Banks was eventually charged with Simple Assault and Harassment. Arraignment in that case, which was filed on Monday, is pending (15-1-04, CR-0000298-08).

Of course, had Banks been in custody where he belonged in the first place, then this assault more than likely doesn't occur. Not that the concept of protecting the community actually matters at 15-1-04...

Speaking of knuckleheads and the East End, a man accused of assaulting a WCPD officer was allowed to plead to two summary offenses following an incident in the East End last month. At his preliminary hearing yesterday, Ibrahiym Naadira Muhammad, 19, of West Chester, was initially charged with Simple Assault, Escape, and a misdemeanor count of Disorderly Conduct after being involved in a scuffle with WCPD officers.

The scumbag was allowed to plead guilty to summary offenses of Harassment and Disorderly Conduct and was given credit for time served (15-1-04, CR-0000249-08), however, Muhammad isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He also waived his preliminary hearing on charges of PWID, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphanalia following an August 4 arrest on an active warrant on South Matlack Street (15-1-04, CR-0000264-08).

Earlier in the week, Muhammad also waived prelims on two cases that were filed in Judge Bruno's court - a PWID case from July in which he allegedly left a paper bag containing over 50 small baggies of marijuana (15-1-01, CR-0000190-08) and an August 1 arrest in which Muhammad was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphanalia, and Public Drunkeness (15-1-01, CR-0000185-08).

If it weren't for the fact that Muhammad had two felony drug cases hanging over his head, I probably would've wondered if whomever was handling prelims on Union Street for the Commonwealth was out of his or her mind. At least with the felony charges pending, the summary deal that Muhammad recieved is a little easier to swallow...

In unrelated matters, there will be another vacancy in the District Court system effective next week. Yesterday was the final day in office for Avondale District Judge Thomas Martin, who is retiring after 14 years on the bench. Martin's court was created from portions of the Kennett and Oxford District Courts as part of the 1993 re-districting.

Senior District Judge John Anthony, who himself recently retired from his position as District Judge in Devon (15-1-02) after moving out of the district, will preside over Avondale District Court until a replacement is named.

Somehow, I have a feeling that there aren't going to be too many cops in Chester County who will be sorry to see Martin leave office, as many have considered Martin's bail philosophy almost as bad, if not worse, than Knapp's (if that'e even possible).

By the end of the year, two more District Judges - Coatesville's Robert Davis and Thorndale's James Charley - will also be retiring after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. No exact date has been confirmed for their departures as of yet.

SHOOTING AT SPAZ LOT

At least one man is reportedly in custody with police searching for one or two additional suspects after a shooting last night in the West End.

At around 19:00, WCPD and West Goshen police responded to the "Spaz" lot on the 300 block of West Gay Street for a report of a shooting. Witnesses and neighbors reported hearing what sounded like firecrackers, but actually turned out to be gunshots. The victim had reportedly fled the scene and was later taken to CCH with what appears to be non-life threatening injuries.

Two of the men possibly involved in the shooting fled in a champagne colored two door car, though no further description of the men or the vehicle were available.

As of this writing, the suspect who was taken into custody was not arraigned. It appears as though he was identified after two witnesses made positive identifications.

The investigation is ongoing.

ODDS AND ENDS - 08/25/08

A few more arraignments from over the weekend:

A Paoli teenager who was recently released from prison after serving a sentence for burglarizing a Main Line bar this past winter joined the ever growing and not entirely desired list of knuckleheads after he was arraigned on Sunday night following an alleged run-in with a witness in which threats were reportedly made.

Andrew John Ray, 19, was charged with Intimidation of a Witness/Victim, Retaliation Against a Witness/Victim, Simple Assault, and Harassment after he allegedly confronted a juvenile male who had cooperated with Willistown Police. Ray and co-defendant Merritt Neil Dudas broke into Casey's Saloon on King Road in Willistown on February 20, causing approximately $700 in damage.

Ray pled guilty to Burglary and Conspiracy in front of Common Pleas Court Judge Ronald Nagle in June and was sentenced to 1-to-23 months at CCP plus two years consecutive probation. Ray was released from custody on July 23 (CP-15-CR-0001500-2008).

Ray was brought before West Goshen District Judge William Kraut and released after his mother posted 10 percent of $15,000 bail. A prelim is scheduled for Friday in front of Paoli District Judge Jeremy Blackburn (15-4-01, CR-0000099-08).

Side note: Here we are in late August and Judge Blackburn's court only just now hit the 100 criminal case mark. I don't want to say it's slow out in that court, but I think that B.J. Upton would think that's dogging it. We joke of course; after all, this seems to be the only way 15-4-01 gets any attention these days...

Dudas' case is tentatively listed for tomorrow in front of Judge Howard F. Riley, Jr. (CP-15-CR-0001491-2008)...

A man faces charges and a potential state sentence after being charged with three separate drug deals in the East End.

Gerald Dove, 22, of Philadelphia, was charged with three counts each of PWID, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphanalia, and Criminal Conspiracy after as part of an investigation by WCPD Narcotics officers.

• On May 27 at around 23:45, Dove allegedly sold 2.3 grams of cocaine packaged in a clear knotted bag to a cooperating individual in exchange for $200 on the 100 block of East Chestnut Street.
• On June 3 at around 18:40, Dove allegedly sold 2.1 grams of cocaine packaged in a clear knotted bag to a cooperating individual in exchange for $200 on the 700 block of East Gay Street in West Goshen; the alleged sale took place within 1,000 feet of Henderson High School.
• On June 3 at around 21:30, Dove allegedly sold 5.6 grams of cocaine packaged in a clear knotted bag in exchange for $600 on the 100 block of East Chestnut Street.

Dove is currently on the ARD program in Delaware County following a July 6, 2007 arrest by Upper Darby Police on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphanalia. Dove was admitted into the program in January and was serving a 1 year probation term (CP-23-CR-0005775-2007).

Dove also was charged with two separate robbery counts in Southwest Philadelphia, however those cases were dismissed due to lack of prosecution when key Commonwealth witnesses failed to appear for preliminary hearings (MC-51-CR-1003331-2004 and MC-51-CR-10033341-2004).

Dove was committed to CCP after failing to post $25,000 cash bail following his arraignment by Judge Kraut on Friday night; a prelim in that case is scheduled for Friday at 15-1-04 (15-1-04, CR-0000286-08)...

Meanwhile, in Common Pleas Court, the long, ongoing saga that is "Monte Washington's Flying Circus" is beginning to come to an end this week in Judge William Mahon's courtroom.

Washington is charged with PWID and related offenses after alleged drug transactions near the Union Court Apartments on South Bolmar Street last year. Washington is currently a guest of the county at the Pocopson Hilton after unrelated guilty pleas to previous criminal offenses.

The trial is expected to continue tomorrow. Lauren Dentone is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Commonwealth; Washington is represented by the Public Defender's Office...

Sorry for the short recap, but I'm a little exhausted and have to be up at around 06:00 (somehow, I'm having a "Good Morning Vietnam" flashback - if anyone remembers that movie, which I think is one of the most underrated comedies of my generation, you might get the reference) to be at work. I'll try and chip away at some of the other fun stuff that's been happening in West Chester as time permits...

WORK RELEASE PRISONER ESCAPES

Chester County Detectives are searching for a prisoner who allegedly walked away from a work release assignment while serving a probation violation sentence.

Derrick Andrew Lowe, 24, of Scranton, had been on work release while serving a sentence on a parole violation imposed upon him in April. According to a complaint filed by Chester County Detective Frank Martin, Lowe was on a work release detail in the kitchen of the county-operated Pocopson Home assisted living facility on Lenape Road.

At around 11:30 yesterday morning, Pocopson Home staff alerted prison officials that Lowe had walked off the grounds. An intentive search of the area by county officials, State Police from Avondale, and WCPD proved negative.

Lowe was initially arrested on December 12, 2002 by Ofc. Christopher Coverly of the Oxford Police after a physical domestic involving his wife. In April 2003, Judge Howard F. Riley, Jr. sentenced Lowe to 142 days to 23 months at CCP followed by two years consecutive probation after Lowe pled guilty to Simple Assault and REAP.

On April 2, Lowe appeared in front of Judge James P. MacElree II for a Gagnon II hearing on his sixth parole violation since the initial 2003 plea in front of Judge Riley. Lowe had previously been found to be in violation of his parole on December 12, 2003 by Judge Anthony Sarcione and on May 5, 2004 by Judge MacElree, on June 10, 2005 by Judge Katherine Platt, on March 24, 2006 by Judge Edward Griffith, and on February 6, 2007 by Judge MacElree.

The most recent warrant for Lowe's arrest was issued by Judge MacElree on January 31; the warrant was executed on February 13. At his April hearing, Judge MacElree sentenced Lowe to 10-to-23 months at CCP on the REAP charge after Lowe had served his maximum sentence on the Simple Assault charge. The case would be closed upon Lowe's parole (CP-15-CR-0005963-2002).

On January 12, 2004 by Ofc. Brian Dever of the Oxford Police following an assault in Oxford Borough. Lowe was charged with Simple Assault and Harassment in that case and, on May 5, 2004, was sentenced by Judge MacElree to 6-to-23 months at CCP to run concurrent with Lowe's parole violation (CP-15-CR-0000747-2004).

Lowe is desrcibed as a white male, approximately 5-feet, 10-inches tall, weighs approximately 215 pounds, and has brown hair and brown eyes. Considering the previous assault convictions against him, it's safe to assume that Lowe is dangerous, however, it's not believed that he is armed. It's possible that Lowe may be heading towards the Oxford area, since the two prior arrests occured in that area.

Anyone with information about Lowe's whereabouts is asked to dial 9-1-1 immediately. A felony charge of Escape was filed this morning by Det. Martin at Judge Kraut's court in West Goshen.

ODDS AND ENDS - 08/24/08

Two men are in custody after an overnight robbery in a SouthEast apartment.

At 00:37, Ofc. A. J. McCarthy was dispatched to the 400 block of South Walnut Street for a report of a robbery. The victims, identified in court documents as two white male juveniles, were at a friend's apartment to allegedly purchase marijuana. Two men then entered the apartment after following in the resident of that apartment.

One of the suspects, Arthur Lee Owens, 20, of Valley, then reportedly turned to both victims and said "Bunny ears," a term meaning to turn out one's pants pockets. Owens then struck one of the victims five times in the left side of the head. The first victim then surrendered an unknown amount of folded U.S. currency to Owens.

A co-conspirator, Andre George Der Martirosian, 20, of the 2300 block of Leeds Road, Westtown, allegedly went through the pockets of the second victim. Both suspects then fled the apartment on foot.

Owens was apprehended by officers in the 400 block of Sharon Alley after officers were dispatched to a report of a disturbance. Owens was positively identified by the first victim and taken into custody. Der Martirosian was apprehended on South Walnut by Ofc. John DiBattista and was alleged to have also been in possession of a set of brass knuckles and a clear bag of suspected marijuana.

The first victim was transported to Paoli Memorial Hospital after suffering a swollen knot to the left side of his face and complaining of being violently ill.

Owens was arraigned in front of West Goshen District Judge William Kraut on charges of Robbery, TBUT, Recieving Stolen Property, and Simple Assault. He was committed to CCP after failing to post $20,000 cash bail.

Der Martirosian is currently on parole after a 2006 conviction on charges of Burglary, TBUT, Recieving Stolen Property, Criminal Trespassing, and Criminal Conspiracy after a March 23, 2006 burglary in Westtown. Common Pleas Court Judge William P. Mahon sentenced Der-Martirosian to 11 1/2-to-23 months at CCP followed by 5 years consecutive probation (CP-15-CR-0002084-2006).

Additionally, Der Martirosian is also facing a DUI charge in Thorndale after a traffic stop by State Police at Embreeville.

According to a complaint filed on August 15 by Tpr. Jason Trupp, Der Martirosian was charged with DUI, Underage Drinking, 1543-A, Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic, Duty of Driver in Construction Area, and Flashing Signals. Der Martirosian was released on a summons with a prelim scheduled in front of Thorndale District Judge James Charley on September 22 (15-4-02, CR-000196-08).

At his arraignment this morning in front of Judge Kraut, Der Martirosian stated that he was scheduled to begin taking classes at Penn State-Brandywine tomorrow. That obviously isn't happening, as Judge Kraut committed the defendant to CCP in lieu of $50,000 cash bail.

Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for Friday at 15-1-04 (WCPD #20080824M0004)...

Nearly two dozen WCU students who had just moved into their South Campus apartments yesterday were displaced after a fire in a drying machine and resulting water damage from the building's sprinkler system.

At around 20:30 last night, WCFD was dispatched to Carey Drive on WCU's South Campus for a report of a dryer fully involved after a resident had overloaded the machine. The bulk of the fire was knocked down by the sprinkler system, however, at least six apartments suffered extensive water damage as a result of the system's activation. No injuries were reported in the fire. GFAC and West Bradford Fire Company assisted WCFD with the knockdown...

The fire wasn't the only activity on South Campus last night.

WCU Police arrested two men on drug charges following separate incidents.

Joshua Chalpin, 19, of Plymouth Meeting, Montgomery County, was charged with PWID, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphanalia, and Furnishing Alcohol to Minors after Sgt. Matthew Paris allegedly found an amount of "mushrooms" consistent with sales. Chalpin was also alleged to have been in possession of a large bong and a small amount of marijuana at his South Campus apartment.

Chalpin was released from custody after posting $1,000 cash bail; a preliminary hearing in that case is scheduled for September 8 in front of Downingtown District Judge Rita Arnold.

Also arrested last night was Joshua Belford, 21, of West Grove. Belford was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphanalia, Possession of Marijuana, Furnishing Alcohol to Minors, and Criminal Mischief in a separate and unrelated incident.

Belfored was released from custody after he posted 10 percent of $5,000; his prelim is also scheduled for September 8 in front of Judge Arnold...

A few more arraignments from this weekend will be posted tomorrow.

MAN ARRAIGNED ON ATTEMPTED ARSON

A Sadsbury man is in custody on charges that he allegedly attempted to set fire to a neighbor's house.

Robert Bruce Tribbett, Jr., 24, was charged with Arson, Criminal Attempt to Commit Arson, and REAP following the August 8 incident.

According to a complaint filed by Tpr. John Clifford, Deputy State Police Fire Marshall for the Embreeville Barracks:

On August 8 at around 07:30, a resident of the first block of Helen Street in the Pomeroy section of the township contacted Sadsbury Township Police after discovering a suspected improvised incendiary device on the rear deck of the property.

The device, a set of wood matches taped to a cigarette, was draped with a beach towel that did not belong to the homeowners. The towel was draped over a deck rail next to a trash can at the southwest corner of the rear deck of the residence. The cigarette had self-extinguished prior to igniting the matches.

Sgt. Jerry Ranck of the Sadsbury Police then contacted Tpr. Clifford following the discovery of the device. The device and the towel were positioned "so that when ignition occured, the towel would ignite the deck rail, trash can, and rear of the house."

The device was sent to the State Police lab at Greensburg, Westmoreland County, for a DNA test. Based on the sample provided by Tribbett, the Greensburg Labs were able to make a positive match with the suspected device.

Tribbett is presently on probation following an August 11, 2004 arrest for DUI in Valley Township, to which he was sentenced to 48 hours to 6 months plus one year consecutive probation by Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Gavin. Tribbett had applied for the combined Drug Court/ARD program, however, he was removed following an arrest in Lancaster County (CP-15-CR-0000158-2005).

In the Lancaster County case, Tribbett was charged by State Police/Lancaster with Criminal Mischief after an incident in Salisbury Township. He eventually pled guilty to 15 days to 23 months at Lancaster County Prison, plus one year consecutive probation (CP-36-CR-0005717-2005).

The arrest came about after Tpr. Clifford requested and recieved a search warrant from West Goshen District Judge William Kraut last night. Tribbett was taken into custody late last night and brought to Judge Kraut's court this morning.

Tribbett was committed to CCP after failing to post $50,000 cash bail; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday in front of Parkesburg District Judge Nancy Gill (15-3-07, CR-0000216-08).

Additional charges may be filed in the future against Tribbett, though it's not known whether or not they are related to the Sadsbury incident or to other incidents. Some preliminary indications from reliable sources indicates that Tribbett may be a person of interest in as many as 20 such arsons or attempted arsons in Western Chester County - possibly including some suspiciously set fires in Coatesville's West End - however, nothing will be fully confirmed until the charges are filed in Judge Gill's court...

Additional arriagnments from last night and this morning will be posted as time permits. From the looks of it - 2 criminal arraignments last night and 5 this morning - it looks like it's going to be a very busy weekend at Judge Kraut's court.

AN UPDATE OF SORTS

I'm sure most of you have noticed that the updates haven't been posted as frequently as they have been in the past. Most of it is due to the fact that I've been on a job search since I was laid off from my job of nine years last month.

For what it's worth, I've put in several applications and had several decent prospects with mixed results. This included a job interview in Upper Merion, Montgomery County, which I thought went well, but as soon as I took that pre-employment physical (which required me to travel to Plymouth Meeting), I heard nothing back from this company. Suffice to say that didn't work out at all.

I did have what I thought was a promising job doing inbound sales in West Goshen, but after only one test "pitch", the powers that be decided that I didn't have what it took to work for them. When you consider that their idea of "training" was having me listen in to other phone reps for nearly 4 days with very little supplemental training before throwing me into a "pitch", then I had a feeling that it wasn't going to pan out.

So, now it's on to Plan C. Which is working through a temp agency at a job site outside of West Chester. And, it certainly speaks volumes when the only decent "offers" are coming from temp agencies with scarcely a guarantee of long-term or permanent employment. However, the temp agency I'm currently working through has had a good track record of placement (at least for my skills that I've acquired over the years), so if one assignment doesn't work out, it typically had been a matter of days before I'd get a new assignment.

And, of course, there's the job applications with the county that I've submitted...

Hopefully, once things settle down, I'll be able to get back to blogging again, however, it's going to take a while for that to happen. Obviously, I'm not going to have as much time to cover the courts as I used to (that was the one advantage of my previous job being third-shift), but rest assured, as time allows, I'll be back.

WHY WAS THIS KNUCKLEHEAD OUT?

An 19-year-old man accused of fighting with West Chester Police two weeks ago is finally behind bars, even though it took two arrests within 72 hours to finally get it done.

Ibrahiym Naadira Muhammad was arrested on July 25 and charged with Simple Assault, Escape, and a misdemeanor count of Disorderly Conduct after enaging in a scuffle with police in the East End. As a result of that fight, Cpl. Josh Lee suffered a laceration to the left arm.

In spite of all that, Muhammad was released on a paltry 10 percent of $2,500 bail that day. He was to have appeared at 15-1-04 for a preliminary hearing tomorrow on that case (15-1-04, CR-0000249-08).

This past Friday night, Ofc. Greg Cugino arrested Muhammad on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphanalia, and Public Drunkeness after an incident in the West End. The following morning, Muhammad caught yet another break as he was brought in front of Avondale District Judge Thomas Martin, the on-call arraignment judge.

Apparently, either someone at the bail agency neglected to tell Judge Martin about Muhammad's active case in West Chester or Judge Martin didn't care, since Muhammad was allowed to be released after posting 10 percent of $500.

No, that's not a misprint.

Muhammad only needed to post $50 to avoid taking the ride out to the Pocopson Hilton and to await his prelim next Tuesday in front of Judge Bruno (15-1-01, CR-0000185-08).

This isn't the first time that Martin has made a bail decision while on-call that could be considered questionable.

Last year, Rupert George Tate, Jr., the man who was recently convicted of stabbing a Cabrini College student, was arrested by WCU Police and charged with PWID and related offenses. That arrest stemmed from a traffic stop in which WCU Police found over 5 grams of cocaine in Tate's vehicle.

Tate was brought in front of Martin and released on 10 percent of $5,000 bail after his October 13, 2007 arrest. Tate, you may recall, was awaiting sentencing on three separate cases in Delaware County when he was arrested in West Chester, yet, Tate was allowed to be back on the streets after posting $500.

Tate eventually was allowed to plead guilty to an Underage Drinking charge; all other charges, including PWID, were dismissed and expunged. As far as the court was concerned, Tate wasn't trafficking drugs, but as far as the cops are concerned, he was a drug trafficker, expungement be damned (CP-15-CR-0005212-2007).

One week later after his arrest in West Chester and Martin's very charitable gift, Tate was arrested by Radnor Police and charged with Attempted Murder and related offenses.

Think that Martin might've wanted a mulligan on that one?

In any case, after a trial in May, Tate was acquitted by a jury in Delaware County on Attempted Murder charges, but convicted of Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Weapon, Simple Assault and REAP. Tate was recently sentenced to only 4 1/2-to-9 years in state prison, followed by 2 years probation consecutive to parole (CP-23-CR-0007953-2007).

Tate is still awaiting sentencing on three open cases in Delaware County, which is now scheduled for August 11. Maybe someone in Media will get around to sentencing him on those cases before he gets paroled from state custody.

During that same weekend, a man accused of breaking to the home of a friend of mine near Downingtown and was subsequently charged with Burglary and related offenses was released on a paltry 10 percent of $5,000 bail; the word through the grapevine is that the police and the district judge who was supposed to hear the prelim were not too thrilled with Martin's decision. He eventually was allowed to enter into a summary plea at Common Pleas Court after the district attorney's office bungled the case (sorry, there's no other polite way to put it).

Anyway, getting back to Muhammad's sorry situation.

On Monday, WCPD filed a warrant in Judge Bruno's court seeking Muhammad's arrest on charges of PWID, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Parapahanalia after Muhammad allegedly left a bag containing 51 bags of suspected marijuana on the counter of the 7-Eleven on South High Street back on July 22. After reviewing the store's surveillance system, Muhammad was positively identified (15-1-01, CR-0000190-08).

I can't help but wonder if this will end up on a future edition of "The Smoking Gun Presents: The World's Dumbest Criminals."

Later that day, after the complaints were filed, Muhammad's bail in the initial Simple Assault case was revoked (no minor miracle, considering this is 15-1-04 we're dealing with here). Muhammad was subsequently arrested on Monday night by WCPD while a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped on the 200 block of South Matlack Street. In a search incident to arrest, Muhammad was alleged to have been in possession of 53 additional bags of marijuana (15-1-04, CR-0000264-08).

Muhammad was arragined on the two new PWID charges and re-arraigned on the Simple Assault charge - bail was re-set on the Simple Assault charge at $5,000 cash (which is what it should've been in the first place) and $7,500 cash on each of the two PWID cases.

Nice to know that some of our district judges are on top of their game when it comes to protecting our community...

SHOOTING AT WEST GOSHEN HOTEL

I realize that this posting is a little late, but in case anyone has forgotten, I've been working at a new job and my internet access is a little limited.

One man is dead, and a second man is in custody at this hour following an early morning shootout at a West Goshen hotel.

The incident occured at around 04:00 at the Microtel Suites on Willowbrook Lane. West Goshen Police responded to an armed robbery in progress involving an adult male and a juvenile male. The actors reportedly assaulted the night clerk in an attempt to break into the hotel's safe.

The first responding officers then engaged in a gunfight with the adult suspect; the man ran through a ground floor window while continuing to exchange gunfire with police. The suspect was eventually shot and pronounced dead at the scene, thus saving the taxpayers the cost of at least one trial.

The juvenile, who was reported to have been a 15-year-old boy, was taken into custody. That subject, who has not yet been identified, was to have been brought over to Judge Bruno's for arraignment. However, West Goshen Police had not brought the suspect over before the court closed and he was eventually taken over to East Goshen District Court for arraignment late last night.

The suspect, identified in court records as Calvin Eugene Haines, Jr., 15, was charged with Robbery, Burglary, Criminal Trespassing, Aggravated Assault, Simple Assault, REAP, Unlawful Restraint, False Imprisonment, TBUT, Possession of an Instrument of Crime, and Criminal Conspiracy.

Haines was committed to CCP in lieu of $200,000 cash bail; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Thursday in West Goshen (15-2-03, CR-0000215-08).