Julian
Sepesky
Washington County
Magistrate
11/20/13
By Julian
Sepesky
When spotting it while driving down Route 40 in Brownsville, PA the
Magisterial District court may not look like a traditional courtroom, but on
Nov. 4
there was plenty of action in the small
courtroom. This is where criminal
cases are given their preliminary hearing; most cases are simply waived to
trial. Judge Joshua Kanalis presided over the hearings along with Assistant District
Attorney Joseph Carroll, as they sifted through cases involving first-time
criminals and criminals with extensive past criminal records.
For instance, current
Fayette County inmate Patrick Marinelli is an example of someone who is no
stranger to criminal trial proceedings.
Marinelli has a rap sheet of crimes nine pages long and is serving three
to six years for counterfeiting.
“You’re a one-man crime
wave,” Carroll said.
Marinelli is currently in
court for theft, he is charged with stealing a ring from his family.
They chose not to prosecute.
After Marinelli left the courtroom, Carroll offered an assessment of the
defendant.
“He is a sociopath,” Carroll
said. “Vacant eyes, slouched down,
no empathy. He’ll be a career
criminal.”
Other cases of theft heard
by Kanalis were Alicia McGraw and Adam
--more--
Greenleaf. McGraw faces charges of forgery and
theft. She cashed bad checks at Northwest Savings Bank in Fredricktown and now
owes them $1,776. Greenleaf faces
a charge of retail theft from Dollar General on Oct. 7, 2013.
He stole a bottle of sleeping pills costing $5.
He will have to pay restitution of $5 and an additional fine.
Greenleaf is apparently no stranger to Kanalis or his courtroom.
“I have been dealing with
you since I was a policeman. You’re a trouble-maker,” Kanalis said.
“I will throw you in jail next time I see you.
You are out of chances; you don’t want to be
helped.”
Several other cases were
charges of possession of marijuana or other drugs.
Bronson Waite of Erie was charged with the manufacturing and intent to
deliver marijuana and cocaine.
Parish Middlebrook from
Clairton came to California Borough for a party and was charged with possession
of marijuana by California police.
He was already on probation in Allegheny County for criminal
trespassing. Kanalis made an
offer to Middlebrook to pay the fine and the court cost, which would total
$449.50, by the end of the day. He indicated that he was unable to pay the fine
that quickly, so his case was waived to court in Washington, PA.
These cases show how the
lower levels of the court system work and how they operate at a fast and
efficient level.
·
Cory
Humphires and Cody Sowers, two California University of Pennsylvania students
were charged with separate charges of possession of marijuana.
They each had the same arresting officer, Jeffrey
Smaracheck, who did not appear for the hearing and the charges had to be
dropped.
·
Four Cal
U students were in a fight: Jonathan Pierce, Zachary Morris, Jett Smith, and
Gunnar Smith. They were charged
with simple assault, but the charges were later dropped when none of the four
would testify against one another.
Andrew Penzara was also charged with possession of
marijuana in the same incident.
A common theme among most of the cases that were heard by Judge
Joshua Kanalis on Nov 4 was the charge of possession of marijuana.
There were five cases on this particular day that involved an arrest and
charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana.
“It’s a pain in the ass to process these marijuana cases,”
Kanalis said.
The court system can easily get clogged with these cases. Kanalis along with Assistant District
Attorney Joseph Carroll try to work deals with people charged with possessing a
small amount of marijuana. An
example of this is the case of Parish Middlebrook. Kanalis was willing to cut
him a slight break by offering him a deal to pay a fine plus court costs and
avoid further court appearances.
“It is going to be legal soon anyway,” Carroll said
half-jokingly.
This is referring to how many states are now choosing to decriminalize
and even legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
--30--
Sepesky
Washington County
Magistrate
11/20/13
By Julian
Sepesky
When spotting it while driving down Route 40 in Brownsville, PA the
Magisterial District court may not look like a traditional courtroom, but on
Nov. 4
there was plenty of action in the small
courtroom. This is where criminal
cases are given their preliminary hearing; most cases are simply waived to
trial. Judge Joshua Kanalis presided over the hearings along with Assistant District
Attorney Joseph Carroll, as they sifted through cases involving first-time
criminals and criminals with extensive past criminal records.
For instance, current
Fayette County inmate Patrick Marinelli is an example of someone who is no
stranger to criminal trial proceedings.
Marinelli has a rap sheet of crimes nine pages long and is serving three
to six years for counterfeiting.
“You’re a one-man crime
wave,” Carroll said.
Marinelli is currently in
court for theft, he is charged with stealing a ring from his family.
They chose not to prosecute.
After Marinelli left the courtroom, Carroll offered an assessment of the
defendant.
“He is a sociopath,” Carroll
said. “Vacant eyes, slouched down,
no empathy. He’ll be a career
criminal.”
Other cases of theft heard
by Kanalis were Alicia McGraw and Adam
--more--
Greenleaf. McGraw faces charges of forgery and
theft. She cashed bad checks at Northwest Savings Bank in Fredricktown and now
owes them $1,776. Greenleaf faces
a charge of retail theft from Dollar General on Oct. 7, 2013.
He stole a bottle of sleeping pills costing $5.
He will have to pay restitution of $5 and an additional fine.
Greenleaf is apparently no stranger to Kanalis or his courtroom.
“I have been dealing with
you since I was a policeman. You’re a trouble-maker,” Kanalis said.
“I will throw you in jail next time I see you.
You are out of chances; you don’t want to be
helped.”
Several other cases were
charges of possession of marijuana or other drugs.
Bronson Waite of Erie was charged with the manufacturing and intent to
deliver marijuana and cocaine.
Parish Middlebrook from
Clairton came to California Borough for a party and was charged with possession
of marijuana by California police.
He was already on probation in Allegheny County for criminal
trespassing. Kanalis made an
offer to Middlebrook to pay the fine and the court cost, which would total
$449.50, by the end of the day. He indicated that he was unable to pay the fine
that quickly, so his case was waived to court in Washington, PA.
These cases show how the
lower levels of the court system work and how they operate at a fast and
efficient level.
·
Cory
Humphires and Cody Sowers, two California University of Pennsylvania students
were charged with separate charges of possession of marijuana.
They each had the same arresting officer, Jeffrey
Smaracheck, who did not appear for the hearing and the charges had to be
dropped.
·
Four Cal
U students were in a fight: Jonathan Pierce, Zachary Morris, Jett Smith, and
Gunnar Smith. They were charged
with simple assault, but the charges were later dropped when none of the four
would testify against one another.
Andrew Penzara was also charged with possession of
marijuana in the same incident.
A common theme among most of the cases that were heard by Judge
Joshua Kanalis on Nov 4 was the charge of possession of marijuana.
There were five cases on this particular day that involved an arrest and
charge of possession of a small amount of marijuana.
“It’s a pain in the ass to process these marijuana cases,”
Kanalis said.
The court system can easily get clogged with these cases. Kanalis along with Assistant District
Attorney Joseph Carroll try to work deals with people charged with possessing a
small amount of marijuana. An
example of this is the case of Parish Middlebrook. Kanalis was willing to cut
him a slight break by offering him a deal to pay a fine plus court costs and
avoid further court appearances.
“It is going to be legal soon anyway,” Carroll said
half-jokingly.
This is referring to how many states are now choosing to decriminalize
and even legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
--30--