WEST SIDE CRIMINAL DAY - 7/24/07

Tuesday's Criminal Day at 15-1-01 featured one of the busiest dockets in quite some time, as a total of 29 cases were scheduled for hearings, with only one case going to a full hearing. At first it looked as though it would be a long day as the session, which normally starts at promptly at 09:00 started about 20 minutes late. By 09:20, there seemed to be a logical reason - Judge Bruno was off today, and Judge Rita Arnold from Downingtown District Court (15-2-06) was presiding. This resulted in the entire docket being cleared in under two hours. Among the highlights from today's session:

• Joseph Malavolta, 21, of West Chester, had a preliminary hearing relating to two separate drug deals last year. An undercover state trooper testified that on May 11, 2006, the defendant allegedly sold 7 grams of cocaine for $300.00 to a confidential informant from his residence on the 400 block of West Gay Street. In a second transaction on July 12, 2006, the defendant allegedly sold 6.9 grams of cocaine, also for $300.00, to the same informant in the same neighborhood. In that transaction, Malavolta allegedly was a passenger in a vehicle driven by an unidentified white male. Malavolta was held for trial on two counts each of Possession of a Controlled Substance With Intent to Deliver, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphanalia, and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility. He remains free on $5,000 bail (15-1-01, CR-0000107-07).
• Elliot Henry Young, who made the foolish mistake of getting into a fight then resisting arrest the day after his preliminary hearing on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance and related offenses, waived his preliminary hearings in both of his cases. He was released on 10 percent of $5,000 bail. (15-1-01, CR-0000176-07 & CR-0000196-07).
• Raymond Cunningham, 38, of West Chester, waived his preliminary hearing on four counts each of Possession a Controlled Substance With Intent to Deliver, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Parahpanalia. He remains free on $50,000 bail (15-1-01, CR-0000156-07).
• John Gabriel Gavin, 24, of Media, waived his preliminary hearing on two counts each of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Simple Assault, and Disorderly Conduct, and one count of Public Drunkeness; two counts of Possession of a Weapon were withdrawn. He remains free on $3,500 bail (15-1-01, CR-0000193-07).
• James McGeehan, who had fled the area and somehow ended up working on a farm upstate, had his arraignment on charges of Fleeing/Eluding Police, Escape, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Underage Drinking, and three traffic offenses. He was commited to CCP on $7,500 bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for August 28 (15-1-01, CR-0000172-07).
• And finally, two men who were charged with Recieving Stolen Property and Conspiracy failed to appear for court for a compliance hearing after reaching a summary agreement with the court. Jesus Cano, 31, of Chicago, Illinois (15-1-01, CR-0000114-07) and Roberto Lozono, 21, of West Chester (15-1-01, CR-0000115-07), saw their respective bails revoked and bench warrants issued for their arrests. Cano also faces charges of Aggravated Assault, Assault by Prisoner, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and two counts of Simple Assault relating to a fight while in WCPD custody awaiting processing on the other charges. His trial in front of Judge Riley is pending (15-1-04, CR-0000131-07; CP-15-CR-0001822-2007).

To recap, of the 29 cases scheduled, 14 were waived to Common Pleas Court, 10 cases were continued (3 of these were summary agreements), 2 cases were withdrawn in accordance with summary agreements, 2 bench warrants were issued, and 1 defendant was held for trial after a hearing.