Habitual Offender Status Means More Prison Time
Last week Wednesday, Jason W. Englehart appeared in the Bay County Circuit Court before Judge Harry P. Gill and pleaded guilty to four felony charges stemming from an alleged attack and sexual assault of his girlfriend last year in July.
According to court records, Englehart’s girlfriend reported to authorities that he had been drinking and using drugs on the night of July 30. She told police that Englehart assaulted her over a period of several hours, at one point choking her hard enough that she nearly lost consciousness. Englehart also hit her in the face, both with his open hand and his fist. She also said that he had tried to break her neck by twisting her head, and assaulted her sexually.
On August 1st, Englehart was arraigned on counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with force causing injury, assault with intent to cause great bodily harm less than murder, assault by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic violence. A criminal sexual conduct charge is punishable by up to life in prison.
However, on May 7th, Englehart pleaded no contest to single counts of assault by strangulation and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder and third-degree criminal sexual conduct using force or coercion. He pled as a habitual offender, which increases the maximum potential penalty on each offense.
Assault by strangulation and assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder are both felony charges punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $5,000.00 . Third-degree criminal sexual conduct using force or coercion is a felony charge punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Englehart, who is still in custody, is scheduled for sentencing by Judge Gill on June 23, 2014.