http://rutlandherald.com/article/20140221/NEWS02/702219925
Published February 21, 2014 in the Rutland Herald Man sentenced in home invasion case By ERIC FRANCIS CORRESPONDENT WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A Springfield man involved in a violent home invasion last May apologized at his sentencing Thursday in court, saying he was not by nature a violent person. Joseph Morin, 31, took part in the assault in which a 73-year-old Springfield resident was robbed of $750, hit with a gun and left covered in blood, “If I could turn back the hands of time, your honor, I would not have committed this crime. I really do feel sorry for the victim in this case and the injuries that he sustained. I’m truly sorry for my part in the incident,” Morin told Judge Karen Carroll as he entered a no contest plea to a felony charge of assault and robbery with injury resulting. Morin was sentenced to a total of 1 to 10 years in prison which will run concurrent to a sentence he is currently serving for selling Tylenol 3 with codeine. Last June he was one of the 36 suspected drug dealers charged as part of the “Operation Precision Valley” arrest sweep in Springfield and Ludlow. “Pretty much the only living that I knew how to do was to do drugs and sell drugs to make a living. With that being said, I do apologize for my actions and if Mr. Dodge was here I would truly apologize to him as well,” Morin said. A third suspect in the case, Eugene Meyette, 27, of Bellows Falls has pleaded innocent to a felony count of assault and robbery and is being held for lack of $50,000 bail while he awaits trial. Referring to the beating of Dodge, Morin told the court that actually harming Dodge, “was not supposed to have turned out the way that it did.” Morin said he regretted not having done more to stop what happened. “I could’ve had control over how it turned out but I was under the influence of drugs at that time and I let that take control of my body and so I did the crime,” Morin said. Judge Carroll responded by noting, “Recently we are seeing many people in here for actual drug charges — selling or possessing — and almost the other half of what we are seeing in here are people who are charged with some other offense which they did because they needed (money for) drugs. Is that what happened here?” Carroll asked. “Yes, ma’am,” Morin said, “I had run out of drugs and money to go get drugs and the female party that was involved (Amanda Bernier) came up with this brilliant idea and I fell for it,” Morin shrugged, shaking his head in disgust. “Well, I do feel like you are being sincere when you tell me you are sorry for this and that you wouldn’t have participated in this but for your substantial use of substances at that time, and that’s not an excuse but I don’t think you are using it as an excuse, you are using it as an explanation,” Judge Carroll said. “The ball is in your court, so to speak, if you are furloughed and toe the line you will stay furloughed. If not you have a big sentence hanging over your head.” “My goal is to get some treatment help once I get back out into the community and also I hope to parole out of the state of Vermont so I can start over fresh in a different location,” Morin said.
RE: "sentenced to a total of 1 to 10 years in prison which will run concurrent to a sentence he is currently serving"
ReplyDeleteLet me get this straight, Morin will unlikely spend a single day in jail for THIS violent, felony conviction?
Had enough yet folks? Hate to keep reminding you, but you've got exactly the government you deserve.
" Hate to keep reminding you, but you've got exactly the government you deserve." Seriously? I work, my husband works. We pay our bills, vote, own our house, get no assistance from anyone, barely scrape by and we DESERVE this!? Don't see the logic here. But, thanks.....
DeleteJoey gets by with welfare and supplements that by dealing drugs and stealing anything that isn't bolted down. No we do not deserve this!
DeleteWhere's the outrage?
DeleteAt just the initial suggestion of the biomass operation, there were editorials written, a committee formed, letters, and protests. All because of unfounded, potential health and quality of life concerns.
Now, one of your own is robbed and bludgeoned in their own home. The police do a commendable job of making an arrest and extracting a full confession. The perpetrator is a candidate for a life sentence under the 3-strikes felony conviction law. Yet, the conviction yields NOTHING in sentencing. Odds are he will be back on the street in less then a year.
Meanwhile the blissful, happy residents on N. Spfld remain content in their selfish existence indifferent to a far more sinister reality. Fools.
the conviction comes to nothing because of the judge; I did not "elect" her; how do we fix this?
DeleteThere's a judicial review process; every judge's performance is evaluated on a regular basis. I believe Cynthia Martin is our representative on the Judiciary Committee in the House. You can check with her.
DeleteThat's a very light sentence. If he had invaded my home and left me covered in blood, I would expect more.
ReplyDeleteIf he invaded MY home he would be the one covered in blood and have a few extra holes in him.
DeleteI thought it was impossible to "buffalo" a judge?! The Judge must have been on her 15th. hour working when he walked in.
DeleteLikely story Joey Moron. You have a rap sheet as long as Main St. You belong behind bars permantely. Rehabbed I don't think so!
ReplyDeletedoes the judge's comment about furlough mean what it sounds? let him spend his furlough time at her house. I think we need Florida's "castle"law here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke! A judge like this belongs in prison as much as the career criminals that they keep giving hand slaps to. A violent crime with a gun involved from a repeat offender and this is all he got?
ReplyDeleteSo by his own admission the only thing he knows how to do is "sell drugs and do drugs" I can't imagine that anything is going to change. The definition to insanity...expecting a different outcome when you continue to do something that same way which I expect he will.
ReplyDeleteAttorney to recidivist client: "Just tell the judge that you're not by nature a violent person."
ReplyDeleteRecidivist client to Vermont judge: "Your honor, I am not by nature a violent person."
Vermont judge to recidivist defendant: "I appreciate your candor. For your commendable honesty, I shall pronounce the lightest possible sentence...Court adjourned.. Phew, meting out justice is exhausting work. Has my government paycheck been deposited yet?"
Well I have two comments...first, would the sentence have been the same if the judge was the one that was robbed and smacked down with her skull cracked open? I am guessing this dude would not have ever gotten out of jail all because the victim would have been a judge. Why then sweet Vermonters do you allow your judges to do this kind of sentencing. You HAVE to voice your outrage. You call the court and you call her office and you call your representative. We want to hold the criminals accountable but NOT our elected officials? Whats the hell is up with that?
ReplyDeleteSecond comment is to the poster 2;21 What he was saying is that Vermont deserves what they get when you follow like sheep and allow these people in our judicial and government to continue doing this. You elect these do gooders who want to give handouts to everyone and never want to hold anyone accountable. We have a state that profits immensely from their diversion programs. Its big business. Im sorry you cant see beyond what you WANT to what the effect will be on your future. In other words its all good until it affects you. So in essence you get what you deserve. Tell me...why hasn't anyone run against Alice Emmonds? Why have you even voted for her or any of the others for that matter. You should be pounding the pavement during elections to oust these people from their positions. Why are we so afraid to demand more from our officials?
I wonder if he got the pistol back as he left the court room. Or is there a two week grace period ?? His job requires one you know.
ReplyDeleteThere's a thought... the guy was already a felon, so shouldn't he have been facing a federal rap for firearm possession?
DeleteJoey is just plain criminally stupid.
ReplyDeletehe could serve 10 years, get out, and do the same damn thing over again. What is worse...is he has "stepped" it up now to armed Robbery with assault! It used to be stealing beer from our stores
For what it's worth, his sentence could be a lot longer than ten years if he gets furloughed rather than paroled.
ReplyDeleteParoled, the clock keeps ticking on his sentence. If he breaks parole and goes back to jail, parole is counted as time spent in jail.
But if he's furloughed, the clock stops. If he breaks furlough, when he goes back to jail, he has just as many days of imprisonment left to serve as they day he got out on furlough.
So, if he's not stupid and he gets furloughed, he will work to change his behavior. We can only hope.
The guy doesn't need to be stupid to be amoral.
Delete