George Nicholas Parsons appeared in the Circuit Court of Calhoun before Judge Anita Harold Ashley for sentencing on his February 16th, 2023 trial that ended in a split verdict that prevented him from facing a prison term of life due to recidivism.
Parsons, with his Attorney David Richardson, Prosecuting Attorney Nigel Jeffries and Probation Officer Alicia Lawson were present as a guilty plea to the charge of Driving Revoked DUI 3rd offense was entered. With that plea he now faces an additional 1–3 years in prison which can run consecutive, a fine of $3,000 to $5,000, payment of court costs and he loses his right to possess firearms.
Judge Ashely asked Prosecutor Jeffries to present the evidence that would have shown Parsons guilty to which he said that the State would have shown on April 16, 2021, Deputy C.J. Myers was called out by a landowner for a trespasser. Deputy Myers went to the location and found a red Dakota Truck, driven by Nicolas Parsons for which the land owner had also witnessed. A back ground was ran discovering that Parsons had a license that was revoked for DUI. “The state believes it could have proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Jeffries said in conclusion.
Judge Ashley then turned to Mr. Parsons and ask him “Are you entering this plea because you know you are guilty?”
Parsons confessed that he had driven from his sisters to his cousins house knowing that his license was suspended, two or three times, he said. With that confession, Judge Ashley accepted his plea as presented and adjudged him guilty of the felony charge.
Although a sentencing was scheduled to take place on both the trial verdict and the April 6, 2023 plea, the April 6th plea sentence was continued due to Parsons questioning the calculation of credit for time served. Judge Ashley did sentence George Nicholas Parsons on the February 16th, 2023 conviction of an earlier Driving Revoked DUI 3rd offense.
Since the trial date, Alicia Lawson, Probation officer had the task of doing a pre-sentence investigation Report also known as a PSI, part of which was determining his past history of criminal offenses. The report laid before Judge Ashley looked to be approximately three inches thick. Judge Ashley stated that it was likely the largest PSI she had received on a defendant. The lists of previous criminal activity was massive with multiple accidents, DUI’s, Domestics, Larcenies etc.
The Judge asked Parsons Attorney if he had anything to say before sentencing. Richardson stated that George Nicholas Parsons had an extensive criminal history due to substance abuse and has accepted responsibility, planning to receive treatment and restoring his family relationships. “He has acknowledged his wrong doing,” Richardson said and requested probation for his client.
The Prosecuting Attorney however did not agree with that recommendation. As he held up the three inch thick PSI Report he told the Judge that “clearly he has not changed his behavior his entire life. If anyone should be institutionalized it should be Mr. Parsons, he’s pretty much been charged the entire Chapter 61 of the Criminal Code. He’s had 20 years to change and at no time has he done so. He would drive days after a conviction and there is nothing in his history that shows he’ll abide by community corrections.” Jeffries added, “I’d be willing to be he’d be incarcerated a few weeks in if allowed to do so. He’s had multiple parole violations.”
Parsons spoke on his own behalf saying that he had a job and needed to be on community corrections so that he could work and get his license reinstated. He said that there was no buses here like there was in other areas of the state for which he could get to work without a license. A matter Judge Ashley corrected by saying she had followed two Little Kanawha Buses as she traveled to court that, and there was a means of transportation in Calhoun County.
Judge Ashley informed him that he was not a good candidate for community corrections and sentenced him to not less than one, nor more than three years with credit of 31 days. He was assessed a fine of $3,000, plus court cost and will be sentenced for his second like charge on May 18th, 1012 at 1:10 p.m.
