Sign up | Log in | Forgot Password

Faxes Sent to Jeffrey P. Minehart

Letters

From:	MG
To:	Judge Minehart
Date:	Saturday, 08/20/05
Subject:	Pre-sentence Letter

Manuel Gonzalez
218 E Somerdale Road
Somerdale, NJ 08083
August 9, 2005

The Honorable Jeffrey P. Minehart
Criminal Justice Center
1301 Filbert Street, Suite 1205
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Dear Judge Minehart,
Firstly, thank you for taking a few minutes out of your honor’s
very busy day to afford me an opportunity to properly plead to
your honor to spare my younger brother another prison
sentence. I recognize your honor’s time is tremendously
valuable.

My name is Manuel Gonzalez, my brother has appeared before you,
and you know him as Adam Perez. He was convicted of gun
possession. This is his second such conviction. He was
originally sentenced to 24 months at Curran-Frumhold
correctional facility. Where he has proven himself as a model
prisoner and was even awarded a parole for early release.
That’s the nutshell, I am writing to shed a little light in
hope your honor would consider a lighter than typical guideline
sentencing.

I am a father of 9 children, my oldest; Marcy, will turn 18 on
the 25th of this month. I mention this because I want to paint
your honor a picture of my and my brother’s lack of guidance
and basic responsibilities lessons in our upbringing. Mostly
due to neither of us having a male role model and a mother who
herself had children at a young age, and needing to work all
the time. Leaving us to, basically raise ourselves, with the
tough streets of north Philadelphia as our mentor. We had to
learn a lot of life’s lessons the hard way, mostly through
trail and error.

I left home very early, when I found out I had a child on the
way, I was 16 my brother was 8. As I went down the daddy road I
became more involved with my own issues and less with my
brothers’ care and well being. As my family grew, my
relationship with my brother dwindled to a non-existent status.

Its 1999, I was now a single father of five, in the Navy
reserves, and had a soul-satisfying career as a mortgage
counselor at a non-profit organization. My brother was on his
way to a career in foolishness. That’s when my life changed; I
met a wonderful woman and eventually married her. My brother,
well he was still playing around with his life.

When I moved to Arizona in 2003 I had heard that my brother was
incarcerated and I think I thought something to the effect
of “good! Maybe he’ll get his act together.” At that point I
knew him to be a knuckleheaded drug abuser who had no idea of
what family meant. What I didn’t realize then that I do now, is
that both of us were starving for the comfort and structure of
what a lot of people take for granted, and that is family.

I had a revelation, I am perhaps the biggest offender of all,
because while I was busy my own family, I completely neglected
my brother who could have used all the lessons I learned
through my trails and errors throughout my life. That’s to say
I, am no saint either, I had my brushes with the law too.

When I moved back to the area last year my brother was being
released into a half-way house and for the first time we had a
real man-to-man conversation. Let me tell you something your
honor, I was very proud of him, his accomplishments during his
incarceration were enough alone. But what really kicked my in
the heart was the love I felt from my brother. He really
matured; he was talking like a responsible man. He owned up to
his wrongdoings and expressed himself in an honest voice I had
never heard before. He showed interest in my children, my kids
now love “uncle chi-chi” I couldn’t believe we never got along
before. I misunderstood him, misbranded him, I just plain old
missed him. It was then that I realized I need him in my life
as much as he needs me in his. We fill each other voids, like
brothers should. It broke my heart to hear of him being
arrested again, I couldn’t believe it. But I quickly learned
that he was truly innocent, and forgave him. His conviction was
a matter of which side spun the best story and my brother lost
the case.

With that said, I would like to bring to your honor’s attention
an article I came across that caught my attention, it was
reported in the Philadelphia Weekly entitled “A Farewell to
Arms” by Kia Gregory.

To paraphrase:
“In Courtroom 701 the Boggs family sits together, unified by
white ribbons pinned to their shirts. Their patriarch, Larry
Boggs, 48, who has 14 prior arrests for burglary, theft,
aggravated assault and gun possession, is awaiting sentencing
for illegal gun possession.
In the first case a probation officer testifies that the
defendant failed three drug tests and has two prior criminal
convictions.
The defense argues for house arrest. The commonwealth argues
for jail.
"This court placed the defendant on probation for the same
offense," says ADA Jenemann. "I'm more concerned with the
defendant selling drugs and carrying a firearm than coming up
with a hot urine."
The judge schedules a trial for early July.”…

It goes on to report:
…“The next case is Larry Boggs.
On April 1, 2004, Boggs returned home around 11:45 p.m. after
celebrating his birthday. Drunk, he picked a fight with his
wife and punched her in the head as she sat on the sofa. Police
were called, and Boggs was arrested for disorderly conduct.
When his wife went to the precinct to slap Boggs with a stay-
away order, her husband disappeared. At around 3:45 a.m. Boggs
was banging on their front door. He broke a window on the front
door and ran upstairs to the bedroom, trailing drops of blood.
His wife ran to the kitchen and then to the back door. Boggs
came down and held a gun to her head. She later told police she
closed her eyes and could feel the gun next to her skin. Boggs
said he was going to shoot her.
Police lights shined through the house. Boggs hid the loaded
Smith & Wesson revolver in a nearby closet, and told his wife
it wasn't over.
Boggs moves to the defense table. His wife, three daughters and
young son look on.
"Mr. Boggs has done a lot of foolish things as a young man, and
has paid the price for them," says his private defense
attorney. The lawyer notes a letter from Boggs' employer
describing him as an "exceptional employee," and points to
members of the Masons in the courtroom with whom Boggs performs
community service. He also notes that Boggs has hepatitis C,
for which he's in outpatient treatment.
"Most important is his home life," his attorney says.
Boggs is the primary provider for his family, which includes a
severely handicapped little girl.
Boggs' wife, a handsome woman, stands next to her husband.
"I know you found him guilty," she says, "but I'm begging you,
please let him remain on house arrest."
The commonwealth disagrees.
"The first thing I would point out is Mr. Boggs is not a
different person,' says Jenemann, who details Boggs' "crime
spree" at age 30.”I would ask that your honor impose a sentence
based on the guidelines," which means a state prison sentence
of two to four years.
The judge requests a sidebar conversation. Boggs sits
at the defense table, his hands together under his chin,
seemingly in prayer.
"Stand up, Mr. Boggs," the judge barks. "Do you have anything
you want to say?"
"First, I would like to apologize …”
"Apologize to your wife," Minehart spits, like a father
chastising a child. "Your behavior was criminal. Turn around
and apologize to her."
Boggs turns and faces his wife, who's sitting back on the
bench. "Sweetheart, I apologize for my behavior that day."
Then Boggs tells the judge how his life has changed.
"Well, your record speaks for yourself," says Minehart. "I
could put you in jail this minute-state prison. But I'm
concerned about the impact this could have on your health, more
so the impact on your child.
Minehart looks Boggs in the eye and says flatly, "You got a
problem. You can't drink."
Minehart sentences him to 11 and a half to 23 months of house
arrest and four years' probation. Boggs must surrender whatever
firearms he has, attend an anger management course, performs 20
hours of community service and joins Alcoholics Anonymous.
Boggs' wife has tears in her eyes.
"Beware of what you wish for, Mr. Boggs," says Minehart. "If
you come back here, you're going to state prison. Do you
understand that?"
"Yes," Boggs replies. "I do."

Your honor, I bring this up to implore on your honor’s
compassion and sentence my brother to a similar sentence. On my
brothers’ request, I contacted an organization called “Don’t
Fall Down In the Hood” and spoke to the founder, one Mr. Greg
Thompson and spoke with him in length as to my brothers
situation and together came up with a plan. Your honor, my
brother is an extremely talented artist, and would assist the
organization by volunteering his gift. With my experience in
desktop publishing and graphic arts, and my brothers’
exceptional skills, we will produce a comic book style campaign
to further the organizations cause. What better volunteer than
someone who has been through the very things the organization
is about?

I also spoke to another non-profit organization which is
willing to supply a computer & necessary art supplies for such
an endeavor.

Your honor, on behalf of my brother, his three-month-old
daughter, his nine nieces and nephews, in-laws and immediate
family, I beg your honor to consider the ten months he has
served awaiting trail and sentencing, and please allow my
brother to serve his sentence in house arrest and probation and
community service. Between the exciting opportunity at
the “don’t fall down in the hood” organization and the
opportunity to work with him in person daily and watch him
become a productive, positive, father and uncle, I truly
believe the power your honor possesses not only can fix a long
broken family we both suffered from and now thirst, but will
assist in a exciting campaign for a cause that your honor too,
are involved, the ceasing of illegal guns on the streets of
Philadelphia.

I know my letter is long, for that I apologize.

Sincerely,



Manuel Gonzalez

April 20, 2004


Honorable Jeffrey P. Minehart
Common Pleas Court
1203 Criminal Justice Center
Philadelphia, PA 19107



Dear Judge Minehart:

Derek Pinkins has served as a long-term tutor in our GED
program. He is an asset to our program, and a does a great
service for his fellow inmates.

Please call me should you require further information at (610)
361-2096.


Cordially,



Julie Brierly Manning
Education Administrator
Delaware County Community College

Just a belated congratulations for your appointment. Hope all is
well. Best to Ginny and family. Dave(Pete)