Man gets 90 days for battery

Saturday, November 15, 2008

A Cloverdale man will spend 90 days on home detention for a conviction on a domestic battery charge.

Jerry Alan Haltom, 50, was sentenced by Judge Robert Lowe Friday in Putnam County Superior Court. In exchange for a guilty plea to a charge of Class D felony domestic battery, charges of Class D felony battery resulting in bodily injury and Class A misdemeanor domestic battery against Haltom were dropped.

Haltom actually received the maximum three-year sentence for the charge. He had the option of serving either 60 days in jail or 90 days on home detention, with the balance of the sentence to be suspended and served on probation.

According to court documents, Haltom was arrested Dec. 9, 2007 after police responded to a 911 call. Haltom's victim told police he had "started choking her, and then struck her in the face and slammed her head into the wall," a police report from the Cloverdale Police Department said.

The victim, the report said, feared for her life and called 911 without Haltom's knowledge. Police on the scene found "large, hand-sized red marks" on both sides of the victim's neck.

At the scene, Haltom admitted only to pushing the victim down, the report said. In court Friday, he said he didn't remember any of the specifics about the evening in question, but did admit to causing the victim physical pain.

Haltom must also complete 40 hours of community service and take domestic battery awareness and anger management classes, both of which he must pay for himself.

"You have lots of time to get these done, but I wouldn't wait too long," Lowe said.

At the time of his arrest, $1,000 bond -- 10 percent of the $10,000 bond was set at -- was posted for Haltom by a family member. That money will go toward costs and fees associated with the case, Lowe said.

Haltom's past criminal history includes a conviction for Class A misdemeanor battery.

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  • The worst punishment for Mr. Haltom is to be lectured by someone like Lowe.

    -- Posted by Xgamer on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, at 5:39 AM
  • The sad thing is that this has been going on for, at least, 10 years. She divorced him once because of this and turned around and remarried him. She has been taught to do whatever it takes to make her marriage work. She has her grandkids living with her who are now witnesses to this kind of abuse just as his child and hers were when they were younger. Children live what they learn. How do we make the cycle end?

    -- Posted by cloverlady on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, at 6:27 AM
  • I agree with Benedick

    -- Posted by cominatcha on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, at 9:44 AM
  • This county is very lucky to have 2 honest and competent judges. Thanks to Judge Lowe and to Judge Headley.

    -- Posted by justasking on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, at 9:47 AM
  • This county will be luckier when they step down. One of them has too many ties with the community to hear cases, the other, well, didn't he have a role in the movie "Waynes World"? Perhaps we will see another sequel.

    Regardless, still seems to be Dity Laundry Day for the BG.

    -- Posted by Xgamer on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, at 1:04 PM
  • Again, it's "article".

    -- Posted by Nick | Nack on Sat, Nov 15, 2008, at 1:38 PM
  • honest and competant lol thas funny

    -- Posted by justmoveonwillya on Mon, Nov 17, 2008, at 10:55 AM
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