Williams sentenced to 4 years

A Hillsboro man convicted on drug charges was sentenced to four years in prison Tuesday in Highland County Common Pleas Court. 

Gerald Williams was indicted in November on one count of second-degree felony possession of drugs; one count of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree; possession of criminal tools, a felony of the fifth degree; and a forfeiture specification.

Williams had been arrested following a September traffic stop in Hillsboro when officers found drugs and a gun in his vehicle. 

During sentencing on Tuesday, Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins said that Williams had previous felony convictions and that his probation had been revoked because he had not been in compliance with its terms. Collins recommended that Williams be sentenced to 12 months on the receiving stolen property charge, four years on the possession charge and 11 months on the criminal tools charge, to be served consecutively for a total of nearly six years in prison. 

Defense attorney Patrick Mulligan told the court that he disagreed with the state's recommendation and began to reference a previous conversation he had with Collins. Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss asked if that conversation had been on the record, and Mulligan said that it had not. 

Coss told Mulligan not to speak about conversations that had taken place in chambers, saying, "You know better." 

Mulligan was seated as he began oral argument, and Coss said, "Stand and address the court."

"I ask that the court ignore the recommendation of the state," Mulligan said. 

Mulligan said Williams had been employed up until the time of his arrest,and that his felony convictions had been in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He also said that in order for Williams to receive consecutive sentences, it would have to be because the the alleged crimes were the worst form of the offense.

"You've been around long enough to know the worst form of offense," Mulligan said to Coss. "This is not the worst form of the offense." 

Coss said that the weapon that was involved in the case had been stolen and was found in William's vehicle along with four grams of heroin in the console and 18 grams in the trunk, pill caps and scales. 

"Drug dealings and guns are a bad combination," Coss said. 

Coss noted that Williams had led "a relatively law-abiding life. Or, at least a life lacking (criminal) convictions." 

Williams was sentenced to 12 months on the receiving stolen property charge and three years on the drug charge, to be served consecutively to each other. He was sentenced to 11 months on the criminal tools charge, to be served concurrently with the other two sentences, for a total of four years in prison. His license was suspended for five years, and $701 Williams had during his arrest was forfeited to the Hillsboro Police Department. 

Mulligan informed the court that he would be representing Williams on appeal and that he planned on filing a notice of appeal on Tuesday. He asked that the court not impose the prison sentence during the appeals process. 

Collins opposed Mulligan's request, stating that Williams "failed to abide by the rules of the court on probation. There has been a lot of intelligence (and the court had previously been informed that Williams) was being looked at for trafficking charges before the court revoked his bond." 

Coss denied the request and remanded Williams to the custody of the Highland County Sheriff's Office.