A Pottsville man heard harsh words from the Schuylkill County judge who sentenced him on Monday to prison and additional probation for two separate sets of crimes.
"You've got to toe the line," Judge Charles M. Miller told Jamell C. Boyd, 30, after sentencing him to spend 11 1/2 to 23 months in prison, plus an additional 12 months on probation, for drug- and assault-related crimes.
Miller also sentenced Boyd to pay costs, a $100 fine, $100 each to the Substance Abuse Education Fund and the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account and $113 restitution to the state police crime laboratory in Bethlehem. The judge made the sentence effective at 9 a.m. Dec. 26 in order to give Boyd a chance to participate in the work release program.
Boyd had asked for the chance to work while behind bars, saying he has a job interview on Nov. 27 and wants to help his children.
"I want to be a positive role model for my kids," he testified. "The change has got to come from within me."
However, Miller did not like that Boyd has had his six children with four women, pays support for only one of the youngsters and lives with none of the women or children.
"Don't have any more children. You have plenty. You can't even raise them," Miller said. "Start being a dad. You have a lot of work to do. You're not accepting your responsibility as a father. You don't even understand what it is to be a father."
Boyd pleaded no contest on Oct. 18 to possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and disorderly conduct in one case and two counts of simple assault and one each of false imprisonment and harassment in the other. By pleading no contest, Boyd did not admit committing the crimes, but offered no defense to the charges, agree prosecutors had sufficient evidence to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and agreed to be sentenced as if he had been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, the offenses.
Pottsville police had charged Boyd with committing the first set of crimes on May 21, 2011, while Minersville police had charge him with committing the second set on Jan. 6.
Also on Monday, Miller sentenced Donald G. Baker Jr., 31, of Pottsville, to spend 12 months on probation, pay costs, a $50 CJEA payment and $1,917.31 restitution, perform 25 hours community service and undergo a mental health evaluation.
Baker pleaded guilty on Oct. 18 to criminal mischief. Pottsville police had charged him with vandalizing a police officer's private car on Nov. 15, 2011, in the city.
"It was a foolish thing to do," Miller told Baker.
Miller also sentenced Thomas M. Howard, 56, of Pottsville, on Monday to serve 18 months on probation, pay costs, a $50 CJEA payment and $2,901.16 restitution, and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.
Howard pleaded no contest on Oct. 18 to access device fraud, theft and receiving stolen property. Pottsville police had charged him with committing those crimes on Dec. 14, 2011, in the city.
Also on Monday, Miller sentenced Joseph E. Boris III, 22, of Pottsville, to spend 12 months on probation, pay costs, $50 in fines, a $50 CJEA payment and $1,152.17 restitution.
"Any time you come into court, these are serious matters," Miller told Boris. "You can't continue to act like a little kid."
Boris pleaded no contest on Oct. 18 to criminal mischief, harassment and purchase, consumption, possession or transportation of an alcoholic beverage. Pottsville police had charge him with damaging an automobile belonging to Michael Morgan on March 18, 2011, in the city.
"If he's not paid off (with restitution), I want to know why," MIller said of Morgan, who had told the judge he needed the money to have his car repaired.