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Defendant asks for home confinement
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
By Jeff Corcino Staff Writer
Michael Guelich, 41, of Curwensville has filed a motion with Judge Paul Cherry to be furloughed to home confinement at yesterday's session of motions court held at the Clearfield County Courthouse.
Guelich was convicted last May on eight counts of aggravated assault and nine counts of recklessly endangering another person for an Oct. 10, 2009, incident. According to a previous article in the Progress, police responded to a domestic incident at Guelich's home in Pike Township after Guelich's young son had called 911 and reported his father was trying to kill his mother, and that he had a gun.
When two state troopers arrived at the home, Guelich had barricaded himself in the basement with firearms and fired off a round when police tried to talk him out.
Police then removed the family from the house and left the scene to call for backup. Four additional state troopers were dispatched to the scene but Guelich fled in his pick-up truck when police approached the house.
Guelich was arrested the next day at his camp in Clinton County without incident.
At the time of the incident, Guelich was employed as a corrections officer at SCI Houtzdale.
Last December Cherry sentenced Guelich to serve two-and-a-half years less one day to five years less than one day of incarceration at the Clearfield County Jail and five years of probation provided he maintain full-time employment the entire time.
Cherry also fined Guelich $1,250 and ordered him to refrain from the use and possession of alcohol and controlled substances, not enter any bars or places that serve alcohol, attend counseling as recommended by his probation officer, have no contact with the victim and compete 200 hours of community service.
Chris Pentz, Guelich's attorney said his client has now served about a year in prison and said due to the unique circumstances of his case, Guelich does not qualify under the state's guidelines or the county probation department's guidelines for being furloughed.
Pentz asked Cherry to furlough Guelich to home confinement as a matter of fairness so he is treated the same as other inmates with similar circumstances.
Pentz also noted that while on furlough, he would be placed on his wife's medical insurance so the county would not be responsible for his medical care during his furlough.
Cherry said he would take it under advisement and said he is going to speak with the probation department before making a decision.
In other cases, attorney Doug Campbell, representing Jeremy Allen May, 30, of DuBois, made a motion requesting May's bail be reduced.
May is currently incarcerated in CCJ in lieu of $25,000 straight bail on charges of unlawful restraint/ serious bodily injury, unlawful restraint/involuntary servitude, endangering the welfare of children, commits offense, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.
May is accused of tying up a 4-year old girl, covering her face with a cloth and sending pictures of her over his cell phone.
May is accused of sending a picture of the 4-year-old girl with her hands tied behind her back with a rope that also bound her ankles.
A towel or scarf also completely covered her face. Underneath the photo was the caption "This is what happens when they won't listen."
He sent a second photo that was similar to the first but with her in a slightly different position with the caption, "Can't hold me down," according to a previous article in The Progress.
At the hearing yesterday Campbell produced a letter from the girl's grandmother asking the court to "go easy" on May saying she now believes he did it as a joke and didn't intend to harm the girl and said this is likely a result of him only having a seventh-grade education.
However, Cherry sharply rebuked the assertion that it was a joke.
"Did you read the affidavit of probable cause?" Cherry asked Campbell. "Did you see those pictures? That is not a joke."
Campbell agreed that calling it a joke was a poor choice of words.
Cherry also said he does not accept written letters and asked why the grandmother did not appear in court in person. Campbell apologized and said she was unable to attend.
Cherry asked Assistant District Attorney Beau Grove to speak with the grandmother and report back to the court.
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