By Scott North
Herald Writer
An Everett man with a history of mental problems was sentenced to six months in jail Monday for allegedly making telephone threats to a juror in the February trial of a teen-age double murderer.
Ricky O. Villines, 42, pleaded guilty to intimidating a juror for repeatedly making threatening calls to the home of an Arlington man who had served on the jury that convicted Dennis Cramm, then 18, of two counts of first-degree murder.
Under state sentencing guidelines, Villines faced 27 months in prison. But his mental problems and a developmental disability, led lawyers on both sides to recommend a much shorter sentence, to be served in jail.
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge George Bowden concurred. Locking Villines up in prison would be "the most counterproductive situation I can imagine," Bowden said.
Villines didn’t know Cramm and had no idea what the case was about. Rather, he saw a newspaper article with the name of a juror who spoke with reporters, and for some reason decided to call the man and make threats, the judge was told.
Villines is "very angry" with the legal system because of prior convictions and his apparent inability to understand that he won’t get back money he earlier paid as fines, said his attorney, public defender Rick Leo. Villines’ arrest resulted in him being placed in an assisted-living home.
Deputy prosecutor Michael Magee said a mental health expert who examined Villines felt it was a close call whether the man met the standard for legal competency.
"I don’t have any belief at all that he truly appreciated what he was doing," Magee said.
Villines apologized. "I’m sorry these people had to be scared," he said. "I’m really sorry."
The defendant has felony convictions for intimidating a public servant and third-degree assault on a police officer. He also has six misdemeanor convictions for phone harassment, assault and drunken driving dating back to 1986.
Cramm was convicted of the May 30, 2000, shooting deaths of Jesse Stoner and Jason Thompson, both 18. The pair died when a fistfight outside Cramm’s south Everett home ended in gunfire from military-style firearms. He’s serving 60 years in prison.
You can call Herald Writer Scott North at 425-339-3431
or send e-mail to north@heraldnet.com.
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