Former city councilor sentenced (original) (raw)

DOVER — A former Dover City Councilor and state representative was sentenced to jail Wednesday on a felony conviction of criminal threatening.

Michael Weeden, 24, was sentenced in Strafford County Superior Court to 12 months in county jail with 180 days suspended on good behavior.

Weeden was convicted in a jury trial in February on the Class A felony charge of criminally threatening his former fiancee. During the trial, his ex-fiancee testified that Weeden pointed a gun at her head, threatening to kill her and then himself.

Weeden faced 10 to 20 years in state prison, but both the prosecutor Alysia Cassotis, and defense lawyer John Durkin argued for a Strafford County House of Corrections sentence instead. Cassotis asked for 12 months in the county jail with work release eligibility. The defense argued for the entire sentence to be suspended for three years of good behavior with two years probation.

For arguing for a total suspended sentence, Durkin stated that while Weeden pointed a gun at the victim’s head, the gun was not loaded, there were no bullets in the house and the gun was not even functional.

But Cassotis countered that Weeden intended and was successful in putting the victim in fear.

“She didn’t know (the gun) wasn’t operational,” Cassotis said. “That is criminal threatening.”

Weeden’s former fiancee spoke during the sentencing hearing said how the event has emotionally scarred her.

“I am haunted by Michael all the time. Nobody deserves to go through what Michael put me through,” she said. “I have to live with what he did for the rest of my life.”

Michael’s father John Weeden also spoke during the hearing. He first turned to address the victim and her family and apologized to them. He also spoke that the event has made his son a better person and more mature. He argued for a lenient sentence because the felony conviction alone will diminish many of his freedoms throughout his life, from getting jobs, to governmental assistance to traveling. He said that since the trial was highly publicized, the conviction would follow him for the rest of his life.

“Please have mercy on my son,” he said as he teared up. “Please.”

Houran acknowledged this case was different from others involving a firearm because the firearm wasn’t deadly.

However, “this was an expressed threat,” he said. “That alone makes it a stand committed” county jail sentence, he said.

While Cassotis asked for Weeden not to be allowed on the Step Down Program run by the jail, Houran authorized the use of the program at the discretion of jail officials. Step Down allows inmates who exhibit good behavior to be allowed out of the jail with the use of GPS devices, much like being on supervised bail by Strafford County Community Corrections.

Houran said the 180 days suspended is for three years with good behavior. Weeden will also be on probation for three years after his release. Houran also said he would recommend work release. Work release allows an inmate to travel to work but he or she must return to the jail after the end of the work day.

Weeden was originally scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, but it was postponed to June 15. The sentencing was postponed again due to a scheduling conflict with the judge.

In December, a jury acquitted Weeden of aggravated felonious sexual assault in a two-day trial, also at Strafford Superior Court. He was accused of raping the same ex-fiancee.