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Wilson gets a year in residential facility, must work on anger management
By Joe Benedict/MVM NEWS NETWORK
FORT MADISON - Terry Wilson, 29, of Fort Madison will not serve prison time for spanking his son with a wooden paddle because the 20-month-old would not go to bed.
Judge Mary Ann Brown presided over the sentencing Friday in North Lee County District Court. Neither the prosecutor nor the defense thought two years in prison was an appropriate punishment for the crime.
Wilson pleaded guilty to child endangerment, no injury, an aggravated misdemeanor, after being charged with child endangerment with injury, a felony. Wilson, who is awaiting news of his appeal for his animal torture and neglect case, could have been fined up to $5,000 and sentenced to two years in prison for the child endangerment charge.
Instead Brown decided in “the best interest of society,” Wilson should spend up to 365 days in the Burlington men's residential facility, more commonly known as the halfway house. Brown said she thinks Wilson needs some anger management courses and the halfway house will be able to provide counseling for him.
He currently is unemployed, but Brown said should he find employment, the state can work with him to make sure he gets to work on time.
The judge suspended the two-year prison term, fined Wilson $635, plus court costs and said he is to pay $1,879 in lawyer's fees. He will have to wait for an opening at the halfway house. Sometimes after a conviction, the defendant is placed in jail until there is an opening at the residential facility. Brown continued Wilson's pretrial release until there is an opening.
Brown did not take into consideration his conviction in the animal case because at the time of the child endangerment incident, he had not been convicted of the crime. She did decide to make the sentencing consecutive with the animal case, because they “were two distinct crimes and should have separate and independent consequences.”
This would mean, should Wilson break his probation in a way to require prison time, he would serve two years in the animal case and two years for the child endangerment case.
Judge Mary Ann Brown presided over the sentencing Friday in North Lee County District Court. Neither the prosecutor nor the defense thought two years in prison was an appropriate punishment for the crime.
Wilson pleaded guilty to child endangerment, no injury, an aggravated misdemeanor, after being charged with child endangerment with injury, a felony. Wilson, who is awaiting news of his appeal for his animal torture and neglect case, could have been fined up to $5,000 and sentenced to two years in prison for the child endangerment charge.
Instead Brown decided in “the best interest of society,” Wilson should spend up to 365 days in the Burlington men's residential facility, more commonly known as the halfway house. Brown said she thinks Wilson needs some anger management courses and the halfway house will be able to provide counseling for him.
He currently is unemployed, but Brown said should he find employment, the state can work with him to make sure he gets to work on time.
The judge suspended the two-year prison term, fined Wilson $635, plus court costs and said he is to pay $1,879 in lawyer's fees. He will have to wait for an opening at the halfway house. Sometimes after a conviction, the defendant is placed in jail until there is an opening at the residential facility. Brown continued Wilson's pretrial release until there is an opening.
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This would mean, should Wilson break his probation in a way to require prison time, he would serve two years in the animal case and two years for the child endangerment case.
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