CLEARFIELD – A Curwensville man whose outburst at a preliminary hearing led to new charges apologized to everyone involved Monday in Clearfield County Court.
In August, Michael Alexander Stokes, 52, was at centralized court at the Clearfield County Jail for a preliminary hearing on a terroristic threats and simple assault case.
According to the affidavit, Stokes became agitated multiple times and was asked to be quiet while his bail was being discussed.
Afterwards, he became “very angry” and threw the table he was sitting at towards Magisterial District Judge Joseph Michael Morris, who was standing in front of it.
A trooper approached Stokes and instructed him to get down on the ground, but he refused.
He then shoved Morris back towards the overturned table and ran around eventually throwing another table on the other side of the courtroom.
The trooper then used his taser to stop Stokes. He was taken to the ground where he refused to listen to instructions to put his arms behind his back. After a brief struggle, he was secured and taken out of the room.
In court Monday, Stokes apologized explaining that “that person that day was not me.” He went on to say that he was off his medication at that time, but is now back on his prescribed drugs.
His attorney, Cynthia Lose-Morgan, asked President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman to consider that Stokes has been a good inmate at the jail.
Ammerman sentenced Stokes to three months to one year in jail with one-year consecutive probation for simple assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
He must also complete anger management counseling.
Stokes had also been charged with aggravated assault, but it was noted that no one was injured during the incident.
The charges in his original case were withdrawn all but a disorderly conduct charge for which he pleaded guilty, according to court records.