A New Philadelphia man is headed to prison after admitting Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court that he drove with a license that had been suspended for alcohol-related reasons.
William Scarborough, 46, must spend 90 days in prison and pay costs and a $500 fine, Judge Charles M. Miller ruled. Miller made the sentence effective on Oct. 3.
"We have to protect the public," Miller said. "When your license is suspended, you have to follow the law."
Scarborough, who pleaded guilty to driving under suspension-DUI related, had asked for house arrest, but Assistant District Attorney Douglas J. Taglieri successfully opposed that, saying the defendant had eight prior driving under suspension offenses, including two for alcohol-related reasons.
Pottsville police had charged Scarborough with driving with a suspended license on April 21 in the city. Magisterial District Judge James K. Reiley had found Scarborough guilty on June 29, but the defendant appealed that decision on July 9.
Also on Wednesday in the county court, two people admitted that they had violated protection from abuse orders.
Melissa Ann Bradley, 46, of Pottsville, pleaded guilty to indirect criminal contempt, which is contempt committed outside the courtroom, with prosecutors withdrawing a second such charge.
Judge John E. Domalakes accepted Bradley's plea and sentenced her to spend one to two weeks in prison, which she already has served, and pay costs and a $300 fine.
State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged that Bradley violated the order on Aug. 27. Domalakes had entered the order on June 20.
"She was at the residence" of the victim, Assistant District Attorney Robert E. Matta said in describing how Bradley violated the order. Matta also said the victim agreed with Bradley's plea and sentence.
Matthew J. Nickerson, 27, of Pottsville, also pleaded guilty to indirect criminal contempt. Domalakes accepted his plea and sentenced him to spend one to three weeks in prison, which Nickerson already has done, and pay costs and a $300 fine.
State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged that Nickerson violated the order on Aug. 21. Judge James P. Goodman entered the order on Aug. 15.
"He had contact with (the victim) 15 times by text and 15 times by phone calls," Matta said.
Domalakes also told the victim that she should not contact Nickerson.
"If you need protection of the court, you're not to contact him, either," Domalakes said.
A Lebanon County woman returned to prison Friday after a Schuylkill County judge sentenced her in a case involving impaired driving and drug paraphernalia.
Krista M. Stevens, 32, of Jonestown, must spend three to 12 months in prison, and undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation, under the terms of Judge John E. Domalakes' sentence.
Domalakes originally admitted Stevens into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program on Aug. 20, 2009, after she had been charged with driving under the influence.
However, Domalakes removed Stevens from the ARD program on April 4, 2011, and she pleaded guilty on June 22, 2011, to DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia.
At that time, Domalakes sentenced her to serve 72 hours to six months in prison, spend 12 additional months on probation and pay costs, a $1,000 fine, $100 to the Substance Abuse Education Fund, $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $60 restitution to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street. Stevens still must pay those amounts under the terms of Domalakes' new sentence.
Stevens admitted on Friday that she had violated her probation, and Domalakes revoked that probation before imposing his new sentence on her.
Mahanoy City police alleged that Stevens was DUI and possessed drug paraphernalia on June 25, 2008, in the borough.