CLEARFIELD – On Sept. 22 people, inmates and organizations against the juvenile life without parole sentence testified before a Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary panel.
Also asked to testify were the victims of crimes in which the criminals involved were juveniles who received sentences of life without parole.
According to a letter received by the Clearfield County Victim/Witness Office, Pennsylvania is one of the nation’s leaders in juveniles sentenced to life without parole. The purpose of the hearing was to explore why.
Clearfield County Victim/Witness Coordinator Judy Shirey said that on Aug. 20, she received an email that caught her eye.
The email was from the Office of the Victim Advocate. It informed Shirey of the upcoming Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing. The email asked Shirey and her office to work with the victims of criminals who were sentenced to LWOP who may be interested in testifying at the hearing.
“It’s a standard,” Shirey said of LWOP. She added that it is can only be used in the most serious of sentences.
Shirey said that she was instructed by the Office of the Victim Advocate to inform victim’s of juvenile life without parolees that a letter was coming from Harrisburg.
The hearing was primarily to question why Pennsylvania is one of the nation’s leaders LWOP. As such, both victim’s and advocates of abolishing LWOP were heard from.
Shiry contacted Ron Klotz, father of Micah Pollock, and Jodi Dotts, mother of Kimberly Jo Dotts. Shirey said that their cases were on the list of cases that could be affected by a change in the law.
In 1998 Kimberly Jo Dotts was murdered. One of the people charged for her murder, Jessica Holtmeyer, was 16 at the time and was sentenced to life without parole for her role in the hanging death of Kimberly Jo Dotts.
Six others were involved in the murder of Kimberly Jo Dotts. In seeking justice for her daughter’s murder, Jodi Dotts sat through multiple court proceedings. She was not pleased to get a letter from Harrisburg.
“It was the scariest letter ever,” said Jodi Dotts.
In November 1997 Andrew Callahan murdered Micah Pollock by shooting him in the back. Callahan was 15 at the time. After his initial trial he was sentenced to life without parole.
Callahan was granted a retrial and in May 2007 and was again found guilty by a jury of his peers. He was again sentenced to life in prison.
Ron Klotz was at both trials.
Shirey contacted the Office of the Victim Advocate and gave them in-depth details concerning both cases. The Office of the Victim Advocate then contacted both Jodi Dotts and Ron Klotz and asked them to speak during the hearing.
“They are two of the most determined people I know,” Shirey said of Jodi Dotts and Ron Klotz.
“We’re lucky the girls from Victim/Witness went with us,” said Jody Dotts.
Ron Klotz said Clearfield County’s Victim/Witness office was the only one with representatives at the hearing. Both praised Shirey and her staff for their efforts and dedication to victim advocacy.
“This was one of the hardest things we ever had to sit through,” said Jodi Dotts, who described the atmosphere as “hostile.”
“We were like defendants,” said Ron Klotz.
Both described inmates testifying before the panel on how they have rehabilitated, how they’ve changed.
Jodi Dotts said that she never once heard and inmate say they were sorry or show remorse. She said they talked about “Me” and second chances.
“People testified about “me” … “I need” … “I’m not the same person.” They never said I’m sorry,” said Jodi Dotts.
“They (Kimberly and Micah) weren’t given second chances,” said Jodi Dotts.
Ron Klotz said that there was some testimony that juvenile offenders’ minds are not fully developed.
“These kids knew right from wrong,” said Jodi Dotts.
She also said that the law should not be overturned, that it was the only closure for her family.
“It was only a hearing, but the door is open,” said Shirey.
If the LWOP law is overturned then both Holtmeyer and Callahan could come up for resentencing.
The law already considers the age of offenders,” said Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. “It is unfortunate that victims of these very terrible crimes must now worry that someday the law will be changed and convicted murders may be set free on parole.”