COURT NEWS

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent

This week’s court news includes sentencings in both Berrien County Trial Court and Cass County Circuit Court.

In Berrien County Trial Court, the man who barricaded himself inside his Niles Township home twice in December has been sentenced to prison.

Berrien County Trial Judge Charles LaSata said Monday that he found substantial and compelling reasons to depart from sentencing guidelines and sentenced Kyle Paul Collinsworth to prison. He cited the seriousness of Collinsworth’s actions where the community’s health, welfare and safety were jeopardized and his past actions in violating probations.

Collinsworth, 21, of Florence Avenue in Niles, pleaded guilty in February

to the misdemeanor charge of aggravated assault and felony charges of interference with electronic communications and possession of cocaine. Monday he was sentenced to prison on the two felony charges.

Judge LaSata sentenced Collinsworth to credit for time served, 107 days, for the aggravated assault. The judge sentenced him to a term of 12 to 24 months in prison for interference with electronic communications and a concurrent term of 18 to 48 months in prison for possession of cocaine. He must pay a total of $391 in fines and costs.

Police responded to two incidents involving Collinsworth on Dec. 14 and 16 in the 1600 block of Florence Avenue in Niles Township. In the first incident, two individuals reported they had been threatened by Collinsworth who was wielding a knife. He initially barricaded himself in the home but later escaped.

Police were called back to the home Dec. 16 when reports came in that he had barricaded himself in the home again. Police secured the exterior of the residence and negotiated his surrender.

Judge LaSata rejected pleas from Collinsworth and his attorney, Paul Jancha, Jr., for a local sentence. Collinsworth said he felt he deserved a shot on probation and that he had been on track the last time he was on parole from prison.

In other Berrien County Trial Court sentencings, Niles and Lansing men were sentenced to prison.

 

Travis Edwin Miller, 44, of Sheridan Avenue in Niles, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct against an incapacitated victim and was sentenced to two to 15 years in prison. He must pay $258 in fines and costs and has credit for 63 days already served.

The incidents occurred between Dec. 26 and Jan. 28 against a 16 year old girl in Niles. Judge LaSata called it a troubling crime where the victim will be in counseling when it should be “the greatest time of her life” as she enters high school.

Jerome Eugene Haines, 33, of Lansing, pleaded guilty to third-degree fleeing and eluding police and was

sentenced to two to five years in prison. He must pay $198 in fines and costs. He has credit for no days served as he was on parole at the time of the incident.

The incident occurred Jan. 28 in Niles Township when he got in a car accident and fled from police. “I hope you make the decision at some point to change your life,” Judge LaSata said.

In Cass Circuit Court, an Elkhart man who broke into an Edwardsburg home was sentenced to prison.

Jeffery Clinch, 36, of Elkhart, pleaded guilty earlier to second-degree home invasion and was sentenced Friday to four years nine months to 15 years in prison. He has credit for 160 days already served and must pay $1,608 in fines and costs as well as $688.44 in restitution.

Clinch also pleaded guilty to unlawful driving away of a motor vehicle and was given credit for time served and ordered to pay $68.

Cass County Circuit Judge Mark Herman noted that the incident occurred between June 29 and July 1 last year when Clinch broke into a home on Old M-205 near Edwardsburg and ransacked it. He went back later and stole the homeowners’ van. He then committed a similar crime a few days later in Indiana.

Both Judge Herman and Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz expressed concern over threats Clinch made against the police officer who arrested him in Indiana.

“He made disturbing statements that he would have killed the police officer and other threatening statements,” Fitz said. “At age 36, he’s not changing his ways. A few days after this, he committed a similar crime in Indiana.”

“You were apprehended in Indiana and denied that there was a gun in the van,” Judge Herman said. “You said that if you had known there was a gun in the van you would have shot the b**** cop who stopped you between the eyes.”

“I believe when you talk like that, you should be sentenced at the high end of the guidelines,” the judge added. “They say that talk is cheap. For you, talk is expensive.”