A Lexington High School All-Ohio athlete in two sports will spend 10 days in jail for assaulting a 19-year-old woman.
Seven Allen, 18, was sentenced Thursday in Mansfield Municipal Court after previously pleading guilty to assault and two counts of criminal damaging, all misdemeanors.
Judge Mike Kemerer delayed Allen’s sentence until March 27. He will serve his time over Lexington’s spring break and will be released April 5.
Kemerer also ordered $3,073.60 in restitution for the victim’s car and $1,199.99 for her phone, as well as putting Allen on two years of probation.
Allen had been charged with felony strangulation in the incident. The state dismissed the felony count in exchange for guilty pleas to the three misdemeanors after talking to the victim.
The incident happened in late December in the 1600 block of Pin Oak Trail in Mansfield.
Defense attorney Ben Kitzler was the first to address the court Thursday.
“Seven certainly has no adult record but also, more tellingly, has no juvenile record of any kind,” he said.
Kitzler said Allen goes to school until around 11 a.m. and later takes online classes at home. He lobbied for his client.
Defense attorney calls incident ‘an aberration’
“The facts and circumstances that bring us here are an aberration,” Kitzler said. “I don’t believe that is who he is, and I think any time spent with him by probation would show that to be true.
“That is not who he is or who he’s going to be. To that extent, he knows there was some wrongdoing here.”
Kitzler said Allen has abided by court orders not to contact the victim.
“He’s just ready to show you that this is not going to be something that is a part of his life,” the defense attorney said.
The judge did not ask Allen to address the court.
Richland County Assistant Prosecutor Tyler Ehret was on hand for the state. He said the victim, who was not in court, requested mental health treatment for Allen.
“I would be remiss if the state of Ohio didn’t put on the record that we have great concerns about the circumstances that led us here today,” Ehret said. “The defense counsel points to the relative youth of Mr. Allen, but the state sees it as concerning that we are here, and he is only 18.”
Kemerer agreed, calling the allegations and the conviction “very concerning.”
“I hope it is an aberration,” the judge said. “All of us are so much better than our worst day, but even our worst day has consequences. I hope that eventually you will put this behind you.”
Kemerer did not impose a fine but did order Allen to pay court costs. He said Allen would be assessed for possible assignment to the domestic violence specialty docket, which meets twice a month.
The judge said any involvement for Allen would work around his class schedule.
Kitzler asked Kemerer about removing his client from electronic monitoring, saying it prevents him from playing basketball, which could impact his college education. Allen was also a standout football player.
“I absolutely appreciate that,” the judge said. “The safety of the listed victim is of more concern to the court than Mr. Allen’s ability to participate in certain extracurriculars.”
That said, Kemerer added he didn’t intend for the electronic monitoring to continue for much longer if Allen obeys the no contact order. He told Kitzler to reach out in a “couple of weeks.”
mcaudill@gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington All-Ohio athlete gets 10 days in jail for assault
Reporting by Mark Caudill, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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