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Chair-throwing defendant receives 5-year sentence, drug treatment

COLUMBUS, Ind. (The Republic) — A local man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to hurling chairs at a judge and courtroom staff after a court hearing earlier this year.

Jordan L. Rhoades, 21, of 465 Clifty Drive, appeared remorseful during his sentencing Wednesday before Special Judge Timothy B. Day, and was handed tissues by a court security officer when he became tearful during the hearing.

Rhoades admitted to throwing chairs in the direction of Judge Kathleen “Kitty” Tighe Coriden, Deputy Prosecutor Jeremy Fisk, who suffered a minor leg injury in the incident, and other courtroom personnel as part of a plea agreement in the case. The incident was caught on courtroom security video Feb. 9 in the Bartholomew Superior Court 2 courtroom.

He accepted a plea bargain in the matter by admitting last July that he is guilty of battery resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer, a Level 5 felony, the charge relating to Fisk’s injury. The five years handed down on that conviction Wednesday was just one year less than the maximum allowed by law.

During testimony from Rhoades and his mother, Stacy Petro, the two said Rhoades has regularly used methamphetamine since he was 18. The defendant also admitted using heroin at least twice.

“If I don’t do something drastic to get you help, you never will,” the judge told Rhoades.

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