This Wisconsin Rotary garden is run by volunteers - a larger community garden than most of us have, but the issue of garden vandalism, and the fact that it is being seriously addressed by the community of Janesville, Wisconsin should be of interest to most of us. Best regards, Adam Honigman Hell's Kitchen NYC Garden vandalism could cost teen a year in jail
(Published Monday, October 9, 2006 11:50:44 AM CDT) A d v e r t i s e m e n t View advertiser index By Dan Hinkel Gazette Staff A June vandalism spree at Rotary Gardens could cost a Janesville teen as much as a year in jail. Tomas J. Castro, 19, of 1836 Garden Drive, Janesville, pleaded guilty this morning to a felony charge of criminal damage to property for helping cause $15,000 to $20,000 damage to the Janesville gardens. Judge James Daley will decide at 1 p.m. Tuesday whether to follow a plea agreement and sentence Castro to one year in the Rock County Jail, 31/2 years probation and 100 hours of community service. Daley could sentence Castro to prison. Under the deal, Castro would be eligible for the Huber work-release program, so he could enter the Rock County Education and Criminal Addictions Program (RECAP). If he graduated the program-which generally takes about six months-he could ask a judge to suspend the rest of his sentence, said Joshua Klaff, his attorney. A restitution hearing is also scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday. Two other teens were arrested and charged with the vandalism. A 15-year-old Janesville boy admitted earlier to vandalizing the gardens and was found delinquent and sentenced to a year at a juvenile corrections facility, said David O'Leary, Rock County district attorney. Charges of felony criminal damage and misdemeanor bail jumping against Nicholas Martin, 16, of 928 Sherman Ave., Janesville, were dropped Oct. 2 because Castro and the 15-year-old admitted they vandalized the gardens and Martin did not participate, O'Leary said. Vandal: 'I am sorry for what I did' (Published Wednesday, October 11, 2006 11:41:50 AM CDT) A d v e r t i s e m e n t View advertiser index By Mike DuPre' Gazette Staff Tomas J. Castro was contrite before Judge James Daley sentenced him Tuesday in Rock County Court for the extensive vandalism on June 19 to Janesville's Rotary Gardens. "I am sorry for what I did," Castro told the court. "I ask forgiveness from the court, the volunteers at Rotary Gardens and all the citizens of Janesville who look at the beauty in the gardens." Daley then told Castro that the botanical garden on Palmer Drive is a community asset "where people, like myself, go to be relaxed ? by the beauty of the gardens." The vandalism that Castro and a 15-year-old Janesville boy did struck the community's sense of security because Rotary Gardens, a place of relaxation and beauty, was the target. Tomas Castro Daley then gave Castro, 19, of 1836 Garden Drive, Janesville, a sentence agreed to by the prosecution and defense in exchange for Castro's guilty plea to felony criminal damage: a year in jail, 3? years probation, 100 hours of community service and restitution. Castro received credit for 105 days already served in the Rock County Jail. Restitution will be hefty: $22,418 to Rotary Gardens and its insurance carriers plus $3,363, which is a 15-percent surcharge levied by the state and county. Castro and defense attorney Josh Klaff did not contest the restitution amount. Ed Lyon, Rotary Gardens executive director, told the court he hopes Castro had learned a lesson. While extensive and expensive, the physical damage was not the only loss the vandalism caused, Lyon said. Most of the people who work to keep Rotary Gardens beautiful are volunteers, Lyon told Castro. "What you did to their self-esteem and pride ? you really hurt them." The vandalism in June was the latest and most severe done at Rotary Gardens. The incident prompted Rotary Gardens officials to buy a security system for $40,000, "money that could have gone to improving the gardens," Lyon said. The 15-year-old Janesville boy was sentenced to a year at Ethan Allen School in Wales and ordered to pay $250 restitution, the most allowed for a juvenile in such a case. Charges of felony criminal damage and misdemeanor bail-jumping against Nicholas E. Martin, 16, of 928 Sherman Ave., Janesville, were dropped after Castro and the 15-year-old admitted their roles in the vandalism and said Martin did no damage at Rotary Gardens. Martin still is charged with party to the crimes of burglary and theft in connection with a break-in June 21-two days after the Rotary Gardens vandalism-at the concession stand at Dawson Ball Fields, 920 Beloit Ave., Janesville. Martin's next hearing date on those charges is Friday, Nov. 17. ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20061011/f81a6316/attachment.html
