Prior to sentencing, Craig A. Stauffer reads a statement to the court.
Dean Brown | The Lima News
LIMA — Craig A. Staffer appeared Monday in Common Pleas Court before the Honorable Judge Jeffery Reed to receive the consequences of his actions. Stauffer pleaded guilty to a charge of kidnapping and domestic violence in September.
Judge Reed had looked at somewhat similar cases involving crimes in Logan County, Cuyahoga County and Montgomery County to determine if the two charges that Stauffer was facing could be merged. Citing his homework and looking at the cases already decided, Judge Reed ruled that the charges would not be merged.
Reed brought to the courtroom a pre-sentence investigation that he had ordered, an impact statement from the victim, and the state’s exhibit one — a DVD recording of a cell phone call. The victim was in the courtroom but chose not to make a statement at the sentencing hearing. A representative from Crime Victim Services was present but had no further comment when asked by the judge if there was any more to add on behalf of the victim.
Stauffer’s attorney, Stephen Chamberlain, had seen the report of the pre-sentence investigation and agreed that it was accurate. It revealed that Stauffer had run afoul of the law back in the ‘90s for some drug-related offenses. Some misdemeanor domestic violence cases were also mentioned in the report that led to the felony domestic violence charges.
Stauffer admitted what he had done. His attorney said, “He’s not proud of himself at all. He’s the age now where he knows better and should act better. He doesn’t believe that he is the type of person that will do this again … he realizes that his record is not great and that he needs to basically atone for what he did and take responsibility for that. I think he’s ready to do that.”
On his own behalf, Stauffer read a statement, “That day I lost all self-control of my emotions and anger got the best of me. I tried to put the blame on everyone else that day. I’ve come to the realization that I am the one to blame for my actions.”
Neither of the charges, kidnapping or domestic violence, required any mandatory sentencing. However, the court found that the victim had suffered serious psychological harm through the offenses, adding to the seriousness of the charges.
Judge Reed felt that the defendant had not responded favorably to previous sanctions. Reed felt that community control would be demeaning to the seriousness of the crime. Reed said, “I would find that prison is consistent with the purposes of the principles of sentencing that the defendant at this time is not amenable to a favorable community control sanction.”
Reed continued, “It’s going to be the judgment of the court on count number one, the felony in the second degree, Mr. Stauffer, you’ll be sentenced to a minimum of six years with a nine-year maximum. The sentence on count three will be 18 months. The court is going to order that the sentence on count three be consecutive to the sentence on count one.”
After the prison sentence, Stauffer will be remanded to post-release control supervision for up to three years but no shorter than eight months.
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409
