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Driver jailed for hitting violinist
Boy’s family wanted charges dropped
Intelligencer Journal
Published: Jul 01, 2008
01:18 EST
Lancaster
By BRETT HAMBRIGHT, Staff

Dayton Cassel
 
1 of 1
A judge Monday sentenced a Lititz man to 4 months in prison for hitting a boy walking to school with his car last year and then speeding away to elude police.

Dayton Lee Cassel, 21, has already served 28 days at Lancaster County Prison for the Oct. 24 hit-and-run at West Lemon and Mary streets.

According to court documents filed by city police, Cassel ignored the instructions of a uniformed crossing guard and drove through a crosswalk, striking the 10-year-old boy, who was on his way to Wharton Elementary School. The victim has not been identified because of his age.

Investigators said a violin case carried by the young musician cushioned the impact and likely saved his life.

County Judge Howard F. Knisely ordered Cassel back to county prison for 4 to 23 months, even though the victim's family told the court they were "satisfied" with the time Cassel had already served and his work with a local victim-offender program.

The family also asked that charges be dropped, but a guilty plea had already been arranged, according to prior testimony.

Herbert Crystle, Cassel's attorney, asked Knisely that his client be sentenced only to probation and given credit for the time he served last year.

Crystle told Knisely further prison time would be too harsh, considering prosecutors' previous offer of 30 days' imprisonment in exchange for a guilty plea. Crystle said prosecutors later "reneged" on that deal when two of the charges against Cassel, including drunken driving, were dropped.

Crystle told the judge about Cassel's work with Lancaster Area Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, which included multiple meetings with the victim and his family. Cassel has volunteered to perform 20 hours of community service with the group, according to testimony.

Assistant District Attorney Christine L. Wilson told Knisely the seriousness of the crime outweighs the defendant's reconciliation efforts.

"The young boy could have been killed instead of simply his violin case being destroyed," Wilson said. The boy stayed one night at Lancaster General Hospital but was not seriously injured.

The judge said several factors led to the prison sentence. Among them, Knisely said, was Cassel's disregard of the crossing guard.

"Your behavior that morning was out of control," Knisely said. "The young man is lucky to be alive, as are the others in that area when you went through at a high rate of speed."

Cassel's actions after striking the boy also were factored into the sentence, Knisely said.

Cassel sped off after hitting the boy, striking two vehicles before police nabbed him on Harrisburg Pike near Route 30, according to a police affidavit.

Then, while in a holding cell at Lancaster County Prison, Cassel damaged a sprinkler system, according to testimony.

"The behavior that commenced … is reprehensible," the judge said.

Cassel told Knisely the sprinkler damage was an "accident of boredom."

Concerning the accident, Cassel said he had just moved back from Florida and had been up all night.

He had traces of alcohol in his system due to drinking hours before, Cassel said at his April 8 guilty plea.

"I fell asleep at the wheel," he told the judge Monday.

Cassel pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor hit-and-run charges, reckless endangerment, institutional vandalism (for the sprinkler) and a pair of traffic violations.

He was sentenced to 4 to 23 months at Lancaster County Prison, followed by 2 years of probation.

The judge ordered Cassel to report to prison July 10 at 8 p.m.

E-mail: bhambright@lnpnews.com


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QUOTE(runutz @ Jul 1 2008, 11:12 AM)


What if he had hit a cellist?



Or a bagpipe player?

Nativeson
QUOTE(Nativeson @ Jul 2 2008, 06:19 PM)
Or a bagpipe player?


At least they are airbag-equipped.

runutz
QUOTE(runutz @ Jul 2 2008, 06:34 PM)


At least they are airbag-equipped.

Nativeson
QUOTE(Mikerob @ Jul 1 2008, 06:51 PM)
Well Seems2me yes I do Have issues with authority especially when authority has been slamming people past and present for years, you bet I have issues with them. Authority is what has this country all screwed up today from the politicians right down to the local government, which is authority.

And if you dig a little deeper, you'll also find all the lies, and all untruths authority has placed upon the citizens of this great country, by changing the laws from Common Law to Admiralty Law in the court system, but hey they don't want you to know that, as well as the passage in the Uniform Commercial Code which is UCC 1-207 which when stated in a court room their (the Courts) are suppose to run whatever laws their using in court in harmony with Common Law for the people, and this is something else your not suppose to know.

Now have you ever wondered why a judges favorite saying is Ignorance Of The Law Is No Excuse, because the American people aren't suppose to know what for laws are being used in a court room. And the laws in a court room go by Staff Law which is the flag that's hanging in the court room, which is an American flag with gold trim around it, well to let you know this isn't an American flag it's an Army flag, the true American flag doesn't have gold trim around the edges of it.

So yes I have issues with authority because they've been playing the people of this country for years without their knowledge.

Thanks for seeing what is really happening. Too many people posting here have no clue what's what. They apparently have fed off the lancaster newspapers and reading what isn't news, but instead is the dication given by the police, taken by reporters and then printed.

machiavelli
QUOTE(machiavelli @ Jul 2 2008, 10:11 PM)

Thanks for seeing what is really happening. Too many people posting here have no clue what's what.


Whirli? Whiiirrrrlllliiii ???? Where art thou? I think many of us would like to have you, as our "official" conspiracy theorist, weigh in on this flag and admiralty business.

What say ye? Are we indeed being screwed in yet another novel way? And if so, why haven't you told us so?

Actually not kidding my National Socialist friend. Share what you know on this.
citydweller
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