Left to right, Ashley Elizabeth Angle and Christopher Glenn James
La Plata, MD – It was a tale of two defendants in Charles County Circuit Court Thursday, Aug. 25 and they both came through the courtroom of Judge H. James West the same day.
Christopher Glenn James, 27 of La Plata, and Ashley Elizabeth Angle, 21 of Leonardtown, both of whom, according to Charles County Assistant States Attorney Francis Granados, suffered from heroin addiction and stole to feed their habit.
“They went on a bit of tear,” Granados said. “All the thefts were related to breaking into vehicles with his girlfriend. From Oct. 4 to Nov. 4, 2014, they stole purses, cell phones, personal effects, in some cases they stole the vehicles. It was definitely fueled by heroin,” he said.
“He was a hardcore drug addict,” Granados added. “They chose to go on a crime spree to feed their drug habit. He probably doesn’t even know who the victims are.”
Charles County Assistant Public Defender Michele Harewood told West that James has been incarcerated for 483 days.
“I throw myself at the mercy of the court,” James said. “I had a bad drug problem. I still suffer with it. I made a lot of wrong decisions. I did it to myself.”
“I believe my son has changed,” James’ mother told the court. “I believe my son needs a program to help him. Jail will not help him. Jail is defeating the purpose. He wants to get help. He’s got an addiction. It’s a terrible addiction.”
“Here’s where we are,” West said, sentencing James to 15 years with all but 10 years suspended, granting him credit for 483 days of time served and placed him on five years of supervised probation.
West agreed to release James to treatment after six months if he can get a bed in a facility.
“He certainly needs help,” the judge said. “We’ll get him there. The sadder point is that you’re 27, way too young to be wasting years of your life and your kids’ life for this.”
Defense Attorney Kathryn Batey told West that her client, James’ co-defendant Ashley Angle, had been going to treatment until being held without bond for violating her probation.
Batey said that in addition to her heroin addiction, Angle suffers from a bi-polar disorder as well. She told the judge the defendant has a detainer in St. Mary’s County and can’t get into treatment at the Charles County Detention Center because of the detainer.
“We’re sort of hamstrung,” she told West.
Charles County Assistant States Attorney Tiffany Campbell told the judge Angle has two 18-month sentences hanging over her head with her violation of parole for failing to report to her agent.
West agreed to release her to St. Mary’s, and said she would likely be allowed to go into treatment from there for her heroin addiction. He set sentencing for Sept. 8.
“A word of advice,” he said. “If you go to Walden, do not walk away from the program.”
Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com