By By NORMA LERNER / Niles Daily Star
CASSOPOLIS - A knife was brought into the Edwardsburg High School this year by a high school student, and fortunately no one was hurt. Charles Phillips, 18, of 3119 Church St., Niles, left the school system before he was expelled for the April 1 offense.
Phillips will spend two years on probation for carrying a concealed weapon on April 1, and was told by Circuit Court Judge Michael Dodge Friday morning during his sentencing hearing that bringing a weapon to school is serious business. In fact he brought two knives to school. "I don't know what you were thinking, bringing a weapon to school is serious business. You see it on television and read it in the newspapers and the ramifications about bringing a weapon to school. It's like taking a knife or a gun on an airplane," Dodge said before imposing a straight probation term of two years, "I hope this doesn't happen again."
Phillips apologized and said he was sorry for what he did.
Prosecutor Victor Fitz said he was shocked and didn't know what Phillips was up to. "It was the first time this happened in the (school) system." He said Phillips lied to school officials and police and said he didn't have possession of the weapon. "He could have hurt someone or killed the officers themselves when they apprehended him. We all know what happens in school systems. Officers were subjected to this as well as school officials and other students," Fitz said.
Defense attorney James Miller encouraged Phillips to obtain his general education diploma and said Phillips is enrolled in the Cassopolis school system. This was his first offense, he said.
Phillips is to pay a probation supervision fee of $240, a $60 Crime Victim's fee, a $60 state cost, a $450 fine and a $350 attorney fee.
In other sentencings:
Michael Cole, 24, 328 Michigan St., Niles, was sent to jail for 120 days for larceny from a motor vehicle on Nov. 1, 2001, on Thompson Street, Niles. He broke into a recreational vehicle and took several expensive items valued at $4,000 and did some damage to the vehicle. Through good police work, a blood stain found inside the vehicle was traced to Cole through DNA lab testing. He is to pay a $60 Crime Victim's fee, a $60 state cost and restitution of $8,053.10.
Mathew Keesler, 19, 25059 North St., Cassopolis, received two years probation for possession with intent to deliver marijuana on Nov. 4 on North Street in Cassopolis. He is to pay a $960 probation supervision fee, a $60 Crime Victim's fee, a $60 state cost and a fine of $450.
James Johnson, 25, 24966 Lakeshore Drive, Dowagiac, received 180 days jail and two years probation for breaking and entering a building with intent to steal from Behnke's Paint, Dowagiac. On April 18, He and a companion broke into the store and stole cash and DVDs. He is to pay a $60 Crime Victim's fee, a $60 state cost, a $450 court cost, a $350 attorney fee and restitution of $300.
Calvin Haff, 19, 2343 Caruthers, Niles, received two years of probation for malicious destruction of police property on April 10 when police attempted to arrest him in connection with a domestic violence charge, and he became violent and kicked the police car and wrestled with officers. He must pay a $60 Crime Victim's fee, a $60 state cost, a $450 court cost, a $350 attorney fee and restitution of $300.
Andrew Ridenour Jr., 17, 208 East Prairie Ronde, Dowagiac, received 18 months probation for unlawful use of a motor vehicle. On March 11, he and three other companions stole snowmobiles on Curran Beach Road, Dowagiac, and rode them, crashing and totaling out one of the snowmobiles. He is to pay a $60 Crime Victim's fee, a $60 state cost, a $450 court cost, a $350 attorney fee and restitution of $5,113.36.