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Westchester Man Violated Court Order on Same Day it Was Issued
Mr. John Horton, age 40, of North Salem, NY, was arrested by the Putnam County Sheriff's Department on March 6, 2007 for allegedly violating a Court Order to "stay away" from an ex-girlfriend living in Putnam Valley.
The Department reports that at about 4:10pm on that day, Putnam County Sheriff's Deputy Luigi Osso was on patrol along Peekskill Hollow Road in the Town of Putnam Valley, when he was flagged down by a motorist who reported her boyfriend caused her to lose control of her vehicle. A subsequent investigation revealed that the complainant was driving her vehicle, with Mr. Horton as her passenger, when Horton suddenly engaged the emergency brake, causing the vehicle to spin out of control. When the vehicle came to rest, Horton exited the vehicle and walked away. The vehicle did not crash and there were no injuries reported as a result of the incident.
Shortly thereafter, Deputy Osso located Mr. Horton and took him into custody, charging him with Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree. The defendant was processed and arraigned before Town of Putnam Valley Judge Gina Capone, who released him on his own recognizance. During arraignment, Judge Capone issued a "stay away" order, prohibiting Mr. Horton from having any contact with the complainant.
Later that same day, at about 7:15pm, Deputy Osso was dispatched to the complainant's residence after she reported Mr. Horton was at her home. Upon arrival, the deputy initiated an investigation into the report, which revealed Mr. Horton went to his girlfriend's residence after his arraignment to speak with her.
This action violated the protective order issued by Judge Capone. Deputy Osso took Mr. Horton into custody and charged him with Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree. He was arraigned by Judge Capone and remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 cash or bond. Mr. Horton is scheduled to return to the Putnam Valley Court on March 20, 2007 to answer the charges.
Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree and Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree are both class A misdemeanors, each of which is punishable by up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000.
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