(Oct. 1, 2015) Jordan Denton and Nicholas Bonser, who were given 90 days to pay restitution for their Jan. 25 spray-painting vandalism spree, now have more time to make financial amends.
According to court documents, District Court Judge Gerald Purnell has granted the two 18-year-old Berlin residents until the end of their two-year probation to pay make good on the court order.
Under the terms of their plea bargain, Denton and Nicholas Bonser, who were sentenced on June 19, had 90 days to pay $8,843.06 in restitution, to complete 150 hours of community service each, and to write letters of apologies to the town of Berlin for spray-painting graffiti on cars and buildings.
Those 90 days expired Sept. 19.
Court documents did not mention if any restitution had been paid, community service had been completed or letters had been received. Town of Berlin officials also reported that they hadn’t seen an apology letter from either Bonser or Denton.
“Because the defendant has only been on probation for 90 days, she has been unable to complete all terms as of the date of filing,” Denton’s attorney, Amanda Nyman, wrote. The document was dated Sept. 23.
Bonser’s attorney, C. Gregory Colburn, made a similar argument, offering that the number of hours and the amount of restitution were so large it would be impossible to complete.
Assistant State’s Attorney William McDermott, the prosecutor in the case, said at the time of the decision that the 450 total hours of community service and the amount of restitution required within 90 days was virtually impossible, and that three-to-five years of supervised probation would likely be imposed on each defendant in addition to the court’s original ruling
“For all that has to be forthcoming in 90 days, I can tell you that it won’t happen,” he said in an earlier interview. “It’s going to take years for them to do that.”
“The two of them, at 18 years old, just walked out with 22 convictions,” McDermott continued on the day of the trial. “It’s pretty awful when you’re that young to walk out with that many convictions and a $9,000 tag and 450 hours of community service. What they did was awful [and] the price they’re going to pay is pretty close to what happened.”
According to court documents, District Court Judge Gerald Purnell has granted the two 18-year-old Berlin residents until the end of their two-year probation to pay make good on the court order.
Under the terms of their plea bargain, Denton and Nicholas Bonser, who were sentenced on June 19, had 90 days to pay $8,843.06 in restitution, to complete 150 hours of community service each, and to write letters of apologies to the town of Berlin for spray-painting graffiti on cars and buildings.
Those 90 days expired Sept. 19.
Court documents did not mention if any restitution had been paid, community service had been completed or letters had been received. Town of Berlin officials also reported that they hadn’t seen an apology letter from either Bonser or Denton.
“Because the defendant has only been on probation for 90 days, she has been unable to complete all terms as of the date of filing,” Denton’s attorney, Amanda Nyman, wrote. The document was dated Sept. 23.
Bonser’s attorney, C. Gregory Colburn, made a similar argument, offering that the number of hours and the amount of restitution were so large it would be impossible to complete.
Assistant State’s Attorney William McDermott, the prosecutor in the case, said at the time of the decision that the 450 total hours of community service and the amount of restitution required within 90 days was virtually impossible, and that three-to-five years of supervised probation would likely be imposed on each defendant in addition to the court’s original ruling
“For all that has to be forthcoming in 90 days, I can tell you that it won’t happen,” he said in an earlier interview. “It’s going to take years for them to do that.”
“The two of them, at 18 years old, just walked out with 22 convictions,” McDermott continued on the day of the trial. “It’s pretty awful when you’re that young to walk out with that many convictions and a $9,000 tag and 450 hours of community service. What they did was awful [and] the price they’re going to pay is pretty close to what happened.”