Another man loses driving privileges for life

A Kitts Hill teenager will spend the first eight years of his adult life behind bars.

Shawn A. Morrison, 18, of 414 County Road 54, Kitts Hill, was sentenced Wednesday in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court after pleading guilty to first-degree aggravated robbery.

Morrison, as well as Jonathan D. Lyons, 18, of 103 Bowman St., Coal Grove, was accused of robbing the BP station off U.S. 52 at Charlie Creek Road at knifepoint in June.

“I anticipate that he will serve his time successfully and become a productive member of society,” Morrison’s attorney, Mike Gleichauf, said at the sentencing.

Judge Charles Cooper also ordered Morrison to pay $179.10 in restitution.

“I’m sorry. I just got caught up in the wrong crowd,” Morrison said. “I did a stupid thing and I didn’t think of the consequences. … When I get out, I’ll be a better person.”

Lyons is scheduled for a pretrial hearing Oct. 19.

In other cases:

Jerry Berry, 42, of 266 County Road 54, Kitts Hill, pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence. Because Berry had three prior DUI convictions within the past six years, Cooper sentenced him to one year in prison, with credit for time served, a $1,300 fine, mandatory alcohol and drug counseling and a lifetime driver’s license suspension.

Steven R. Triplett, of 9669 State Route 141, Kitts Hill, was resentenced for aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary.

Triplett originally pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary in December 2009 after he was accused of breaking into a couple’s home while they slept and robbing them in 2006.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison on each count, to be served concurrently. At that time Triplett was advised he may be subject to post release control once he had served his prison sentence.

The Ohio Fourth District Court of Appeals ruled that he should be resentenced because of a wording error and that the judge should have told Triplett that he shall, not may, serve probation following his release from prison, the court ruled.

Triplett pleaded guilty through his attorney, David Reid Dillon, and was sentenced to five years of probation after his prison term.

Triplett also requested an appeal.

William French, 32, of 1577 County Road 52, Ironton, was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty last week to complicity to burglary.

Timothy E. Willis, 42, of 45 Township Road 248 West, Kitts Hill, pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence.

Cooper sentenced Willis to 45 days in jail, a $1,000 fine and a one-year driver’s license suspension with limited privileges to attend Ohio University Southern.

Because Willis has already spent 45 days in jail, he will not be required to face more jail time.