By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS - "You deserve every one of these 90 days," said Judge Michael E. Dodge Friday morning, as he sent Matthew Ralph Weaver, 17, of 30340 Peavine St., Dowagiac, to the Cass County Jail.
Weaver, along with two others, caused classes on April 7, 2003, to be cancelled, after damaging 15 of the district's school buses.
The other two offenders have already been sentenced in juvenile court to 100 hours of community service and 18 months probation, Dodge said.
But Weaver, with a previous incident of damaging to eight vehicles at a Dowagiac auto business in 2001, was sentenced Friday for a felony in Cass County Circuit Court, as an adult.
Edwardsburg buses were borrowed so classes could resume the next day. Repairs cost over $4,000 as gas lines had been cut along with other extensive damage.The youth had broken through the fenced area and inflected intention damage to the Dowagiac Union Schools' property.
Dodge acknowledged Weaver was diagnosed as bi-polar, but added, "you know the difference between right and wrong.
Weaver is also to pay $180 probation fee, $60 to the Crime Victims' Fund, a $60 state court assessment fee, $450 in court costs, $350 attorney fee, a $350 fine, and $1,323.27 for his share of the restitution.
In other sentencings:
Michael Scott Wilson-Kennedy, 36, 497 Waukonda, Benton Harbor, when stopped for going 59 in a 30-mile-an-hour zone on April 16, 2003, on Elkhart Road, Ontwa Township, was found to have a suspended Indiana license and his Michigan license had been revoked.
He failed to appear for his pre-trial for this offense of possession of methamphetamine. Empty baggies with meth residue were found in his possession by officers.
He was sentenced to five months in the Cass County Jail, with credit for two days. He is to pay $60 to the Crime Victims' Fund, a $60 state court assessment fee, and a $350 attorney fee.
Jacqueline Sue Spillman, 38, 70310 Beach Dr., Edwardsburg, took a bag of sample drugs, which had been left out at the Lakeland Family Clinic, 109 School St., Cassopolis by a drug representative on May 30, 2003.
Spillman was out on bond at the time for a theft of $11,000 from her employer, the St. Joseph County treasurer.
She is also to pay $60 to the Crime Victims' Fund, a $60 state court assessment fee and $450 in court costs. Her $350 attorney fee was already paid, said her attorney Dale Blunier.
Keane Garrett Engleberg, 19, 1413 Cherry Lane, Niles, already had a juvenile "substantial criminal record" and felonies in two states. After breaking into Southside school in Niles, he had been sentenced to 100 days, and had probation violations.
With a guideline of seven to 23 months, Dodge could have sent him to jail or prison for three counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct, stemming from his having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl on July 29, 2003, after giving her alcohol.
Engleberg was sentenced to 16 months to 24 months, with 88 days credit, in the Michigan Department of Corrections, after Dodge said Engleberg had "reached a level of punishment that needed to be handed out.
He received three concurrent sentences and is to pay $60 to the Crime Victims' Fund, and three $60 state court assessment fees.
James Edwards Kelley, 57, 201 Warden St., Marcellus, was sentenced to possession of methamphetamine on his 57th birthday.
A search warrant was issued on Sept. 9, 2003, at a location on Cranberry Lake Rd., Marcellus. At the jail, tin foil with residue of the drug was found in his pocket.
An outstanding warrant was out on him from Kalamazoo at the same time.
He was sentenced to time served at the Cass County Jail, 66 days. He is to pay $60 to the Crime Victims' Fund, and a $60 state court assessment fee.
Duane Allen Guffey, 46, 696 S. Hawthorne St., Bristol, Ind., didn't realize the law in Michigan said his concealed knife in his vehicle's seatbelt strap was illegal.
On June 8, 2003, Cassopolis Police officers investigated Guffey's car which had broken down at the intersection of Jefferson and Broadway, when he was going to the hardware store.
He received two years probation and he is to pay probation fees, $60 to the Crime Victims' Fund, a $60 state court assessment fee, $450 in court costs, and $350 attorney fee.
Bruce Allen Hively, 41, 16781 US-12, Union, failed to show for sentencing for his Operating Under the Influence (OUIL) third, from June 22, 2003. His bond is revoked and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
Gila M. Wigton, 21, 17820 Dutch Settlement Rd., Marcellus, failed to show for sentencing for possession and intent to deliver on Feb. 25, 2003. His bond is revoked and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.