LOCAL DISTRICT COURT SENTENCES BRENHAM MAN TO 25 YEARS
(Washington Co. Jail)
A Brenham man has been sentenced up to 25 years in prison on multiple charges in the latest edition of 21st District Court.
43-year-old Christopher Damara Serialle pleaded guilty to a trio of charges including: two counts of Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance (habitual offender) and Possession of a Controlled Substance.
Also sentenced were:
40-year-old Jason Charles James of Houston, sentenced to 12 years in prison for Possession of Controlled Substance – a Second Degree Felony.
51-year-old Wesley Guy Hart of Realitos, sentenced to four years’ probation for Third Offense Driving While Intoxicated – a Third Degree Felony. Hart was also fined $1000.
24-year-old Jamal Dekkane Johnson of Hillsboro, placed on five years’ probation for two counts of Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle and Bail Jumping/Failure to Appear. Johnson was also ordered to pay $4105 restitution and perform 200 hours community service.
56-year-old Melvin Vernon Ragston of Brenham was fined $1000 and placed on five years’ probation for Assault of a Family Member/With a Previous Conviction – a Third Degree Felony. Ragston was also ordered to perform150 hours community service restitution.
And, 40-year-old Clarice Euginia Devault of Brenham, was sentenced to 343 days in the Washington County Jail for Assault Causing Bodily Injuy – a Class A Misdemeanor.
So a guy gets 12 years in prison for possession of a controlled substance while another guy gets 4 years probation for his THIRD DWI charge which alcohol is also a controlled substance if the judge doesn’t know one from another because this sounds ridiculous!!! Or does the guy have money for a better lawyer with the 3 DWI’s because this makes NO absolute sense at all but again this is Washington County where it’s considered one of the wettest counties around!
So basically you can go drink past your limit not one time but three times and get caught then all your punishment is 4 years probation! This town needs a whole new court system overload before the next time he gets behind the wheel it’s one of your family members… then what?
Yes a Drunk Driving [3rd offense] is a Texas third degree FELONY which is punishable by two to ten years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000. The reason it is so tough is that if you have been caught one likely you have done it a dozen times. If you got caught 3 time you have probably done it 3 dozen times. Each time endangering someone’s life. I do not get this LIGHT sentence. A drunk driver had the potential to kill a family car of people, guess we will wait till he actually kills someone to act. There must be more to this story.
One the other hand a Class A Misdemeanor mentioned above was sentenced to 343 days in the Washington County Jail for Assault Causing Bodily Injury . Count them 343 days! That sentence seems EXTREME. The law reads In Texas, Class A misdemeanors are punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both jail time and a fine. What did this person do to get nearly the maximum sentence. It costs the state more than 22 thousand for an inmate per year. Not to mention lost income to the family so we as tax paying citizens have to pay for that too.
Ridiculous sentencing. I am curious to the demographic and financial status of these persons. Just thinking.