Ronnie Jenkins threw excrement in August 2011 at one of his guards at State Correctional Institution/Mahanoy and must lose at least 7 1/2 years of freedom because of it, a Schuylkill County judge ruled Monday.
"You obviously are an angry, hostile, bitter individual," Judge John E. Domalakes told Jenkins before sentencing him to 7 1/2 to 17 years in a state correctional institution.
Domalakes, who also ordered Jenkins to pay costs and $50 to the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, made the defendant's sentence consecutive to the one of three to six years he now is serving at SCI/Graterford.
"That's crazy," Jenkins, 32, of Philadelphia, said of Domalakes' sentence.
"You haven't grasped the fact that this is a vile and disgusting act," Domalakes replied.
Domalakes, who had ejected Jenkins from his own trial in October due to repeated disruptive conduct, rejected Jenkins' claims that he was being persecuted by enemies at SCI/Mahanoy.
"That doesn't excuse you from throwing feces, sir," Domalakes said. "You've shown no remorse."
In a one-day trial presided over by Domalakes, a jury convicted Jenkins on Oct. 24 of aggravated assault, aggravated harassment by a prisoner and simple assault.
During that trial, Domalakes had ordered Jenkins removed from the courtroom after he interrupted the proceedings several times.
What Domalakes termed Jenkins' "vile and disgusting act" was throwing fecal matter at corrections officer Sgt. Nathan Wynder on Aug. 22, 2011, at SCI/Mahanoy, according to state police at Frackville.
Assistant District Attorney Michael A. O'Pake had asked Domalakes to be harsh on Jenkins.
"I believe a very severe sentence should be imposed on Mr. Jenkins. The act itself is probably one of the most vile and disgusting acts" that anyone can do to another person, O'Pake said.
Assistant Public Defender Kent D. Watkins, Jenkins' lawyer, said more prison time would not help Jenkins, whose behavior tended to exhibit mental health problems.
Jenkins himself said people in the state prison system are out to get him.
"All my paperwork's being stolen," he said. "I'm being pushed all around the state."
In his original case, Jenkins pleaded guilty on July 23, 2009, in Philadelphia County Court to aggravated assault and possessing an instrument of crime, with prosecutors dropping charges of unlawful restraint, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. At that time, Judge Lillian Ransom sentenced Jenkins to serve three to six years in a state correctional institution.
Philadelphia police charged Jenkins with committing his assault on Nov. 2, 2008. Ronnie Jenkins
· Age: 32
· Residence: Philadelphia
· Crimes committed: Aggravated assault, aggravated harassment by prisoner and simple assault
· Prison sentence: 7 1/2 to 17 years in a state correctional institution, consecutive to current sentence
