Burglary, battery leads to jail time
KEITH COUSINS/Staff writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 2 months AGO
COEUR d'ALENE - A 25-year-old Rathdrum man was sentenced Monday in Kootenai County District Court to 10 years in prison on charges stemming from an incident with his ex-girlfriend that the prosecution called "atrocious" in nature.
Levi Cummings was sentenced by Judge Lansing Haynes on burglary and aggravated battery charges. During closing arguments, the defense asked Haynes to place Cummings under retained jurisdiction. However, Haynes said that handing out no prison time in the case would be inappropriate.
"This is not just a situation of a young man making poor choices," Haynes said. "This is an incident where the young woman's safety was impacted by an inexcusable crime of violence. This is the type of thing that can haunt a victim for many years."
The Kootenai County prosecutor recommended a prison term of 13 years prior to detailing the Aug. 8 incident. According to the prosecutor, Cummings "forcefully" broke into his ex-girlfriend's Coeur d'Alene home and began beating her. Hoping to end the altercation, the woman allegedly agreed to have sex with Cummings. Afterward, she received a text message which reportedly further escalated the situation, with Cummings brandishing a knife.
Cummings' defense attorney argued that retained jurisdiction would be appropriate due to two factors - one being the man's acknowledgment that he needs treatment for mental illness and the other being that Cummings is supported by his close-knit family.
Instead of speaking, Cummings elected to have his attorney read a letter to the court which began with him saying that he is "truly sorry" for what occurred.
"(The victim) and I were in a relationship that became pretty rocky," Cummings wrote.
Cummings continued by referencing his mental illness and emotional issues, acknowledging that he should have looked for treatment for them.
"But instead I bottled it up," Cummings wrote. "I told my family that God has stepped in to put me in a time-out. I feel like I can be a productive member of society."
Haynes told those in the courtroom that he felt the emotion of the case, but would be separating himself from those emotions and just dealing with the facts.
"You are, in fact, a dangerous person," Haynes said. "It may not always be the case, but right now it is the case."
"It would be inappropriate for me to send you out on a rider," Haynes continued. "It's simply not enough punishment."
Cummings will be eligible for parole in two years.
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