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Law and Order: Duo accused of fighting at the Longhouse on the reservation

By Howard B. Owens

Heather M. Ground, 27, of Meadville Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, and Casey A. Jonathan, 35, of Skye Road, Tonawanda Indian Reservation, are charged with harassment, 2nd. Ground and Jonathan allegedly became involved in a dispute during a ceremony at the Longhouse on the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. Ground allegedly pushed and then punched Jonathan. A few minutes later, Jonathan allegedly punched Ground in the mouth.

Shawn C. Wetmore, 40, of 38 Maple St., Batavia, is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, 2nd, and criminal mischief, 4th. During a fight, Wetmore allegedly kicked a door open, which was close to an infant. He allegedly threw an item at another person. Wetmore was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Carrie Q. Blunt, 20, of 24 Thomas Ave., Batavia, is charged with false personation. Blunt was arrested on a bench warrant during an unrelated investigation.

Keith Joseph Jackson, 18, of Slusser Road, Batavia, is charged with possession/consumption of alcohol under age 21. Also charged, Corey Jarome Mooney, 19, of Lockport Road, Oakfield, and a 17-year-old female resident of State Street, Batavia. The trio was allegedly at an underage drinking party at 12:04 a.m., Saturday, on Orchard Street in Oakfield. The case was investigated by Deputy Patrick Reeves and Deputy Matthew Fleming.

Devine Raheem Worthy, 28, of Congress Street, Buffalo, was arrested on a bench warrant for alleged failure to pay restitution.

Christopher Putnam

How is it that i keep seeing people in the blotter that are arrested and jailed for failure to pay fines, and restitution. Isnt it illegal to imprison a debtor in the US? Didnt we abolish debtors prison in the 1830's? HOW THE HELL IS SOMEONE SUPPOSED TO PAY RESTITUTION FROM JAIL!

Jan 25, 2013, 5:29pm Permalink
John Roach

Christopher,
You really don't know the difference?

If you default on a car loan, or a house mortgage, you do not go to jail. That is debt.

But when ordered to pay for damages you caused, or to repay money you stole, that is not "debt", it's restitution. In many cases, the defendant accepts restitution in lieu of jail time for a crime they committed. At other times, when it is clear the person will be in jail for many years, the restitution is imposed in case the defendant comes into money later.

A fine is also not "debt", but a monetary penalty for a violation of some sort.

Jan 25, 2013, 5:41pm Permalink
Kurt Schwab

Hypothetically speaking, if a person steals someone's white Cadillac and drives it around and sells drugs out of it for a week in the same town that he stole it in, and then gets chased down and caught by the owner of the aforementioned white Cadillac, and then gets arrested, charged, convicted, and spends a half dozen years in prison thinking about error of his ways and finally gets out and gets his old job back and makes a lot of money it is reasonable to expect that his newfound wealth should be redistributed back to the less fortunate members of society that he stole from in the first place, after all, we're in America...with liberty, and justice for some.

Hypothetically speaking.

Jan 25, 2013, 9:16pm Permalink

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