An after-hours trip to Oregon Elementary School cost a Mt. Morris man his freedom for the next year and a half.
Franklin T. Houston, 28, of Mt. Morris, was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Monday after a judge determined that he harmed an Oregon police officer while resisting arrest after breaking into Oregon Elementary School after closing hours. Houston apologized in court and was given credit for 203 days already served; he must complete 50% of the 18-month sentence before being eligible for mandatory supervised release. The case has received local attention because it involves an after-hours school entry and a physical altercation with police.
According to Shaw Local, Associate Judge Anthony Peska pronounced the sentence on April 20 and stated that Houston was “clearly an intelligent man, but something came in and sidelined your life.” Peska imposed the 18-month sentence and credited Houston with 203 days previously served at the Ogle County Jail. Prosecutors contended that a jail sentence was justified, citing Houston’s previous burglary convictions in Winnebago and Ogle counties. In court, that is hardly a résumé that will aid with sentence.
According to court testimony, Houston entered Oregon Elementary and sat in a girls’ locker room stall, which disturbed a coach. He fled when urged to do so, but was subsequently approached by cops at Oregon Park West before being apprehended in a nearby residential neighborhood. Oregon Elementary School’s address is listed as 1150 Jefferson Street. Officer Breanna Wakeland suffered a gash to her thumb and a sprained wrist as a result of the arrest battle.
In February, an Ogle County jury convicted Houston of hurting a police officer while resisting arrest, a Class 4 felony, as well as misdemeanor counts of resisting an officer and disorderly conduct, according to court records. During closing arguments, prosecutors described Houston’s behavior as erratic, while defense counsel Brandon Gecan told jurors that Houston has a schizophrenic-like disease that can be managed with medicine and advocated for probation rather than prison. The defense also pointed out that Houston had already served around 200 days in prison prior to his sentencing, which the court considered in his judgment, according to Shaw Local.
Resisting or obstructing a peace officer is a Class 4 felony in Illinois if the defendant’s actions are the direct cause of the officer’s injuries, according to Justia. According to Justia, the state’s correctional code limits Class 4 punishments to one to three years, with extended-term alternatives ranging from three to six years in some situations. Courts must also impose minimum prison or community service sentences for resisting or obstructing a police officer.
Houston read a written apology to the court and the school system, asking for a chance to redeem himself; his attorney stated that Houston could be supervised and rehabilitated if he was placed on probation rather than in prison. When explaining the sentencing, Peska cited Houston’s past as well as the officer’s wounds. For the time being, the Ogle County sentence stands, with Houston receiving credit for time served and being obliged to spend half of the court-imposed term before being released into mandatory supervised care.
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