WEST CHESTER – It should come as no shock to Unplugged readers that a Coatesville woman finds herself on the wrong side of the law again. The only difference between this latest scrape with the law and her previous three criminal court matters is that she might actually face some punishment in Common Pleas Court this time around. In fact, she was admitted into ARD in Montgomery County while she was facing charges in two separate cases in Coatesville.
Ali, 20, of Coatesville, and Shante Chapman, 19, also of Coatesville, were arrested by Valley Police on Monday after her involvement in a melee at Valley District Court on Monday following a preliminary hearing for a family member who was ordered held for trial on charges relating to the homicide investigation of a 16 year old Coatesville boy. The two are accused of assaulting and threatening the mother of Aaron Turner, the young Coatesville boy who was murdered as he left his home on North Chester Avenue in October 2008.
Valley District Judge Grover Koon had just ordered Cynthia Chapman Graves, 50, of Coatesville, held for trial on charges of Hindering Apprehension, Tampering With Evidence, and Criminal Conspiracy for allegedly driving a car reportedly used by her son, Laquanta Chapman, and his cousin Bryan Byrd, 19, of Newark, N.J. in the murder of Aaron. Chester County Detectives allege that Chapman Graves drove the vehicle to Irvington, Essex County, N.J. – a township bordering Newark to the west – where she attempted to sell it. Investigators had attempted to obtain a search warrant to obtain evidence in the homicide.
After the hearing, Ali and Chapman – the daughter of Chapman Graves – allegedly assaulted a relative of Aaron's outside the courtroom. Ali was reportedly holding a baby as she assaulted the victim; Chapman subsequently had to be restrained by police as she attempted to punch the victim.
News reports indicate that this was not the first confrontation involving Ali and the victim's family. The first incident reportedly occurred outside the Justice Center in West Chester, however, it did not appear as though charges were filed in that incident.
Ali is currently on ARD probation in Montgomery County, although her admittance into the program could be considered unusual at best, if not controversial.
Ali was arrested by Trp. Jason Hope of the State Police/Philadelphia station on June 7, 2007 on charges of False Identification to Law Enforcement and False Swearing/Misleading a Public Servant after an incident in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County. Ali failed to appear for her preliminary hearing in Narberth District Court on August 27, 2007 and the charges were held in absentia.
Meanwhile, Ali found herself in some hot water in Coatesville as Ofc. Jeffrey Ingemie had charged her with Burglary, Criminal Trespassing, Criminal Mischief, Disorderly Conduct, and Harassment following a December 29, 2007 incident in the city's West End. Ali was subsequently arraigned on the charges by Judge Koon on January 16, 2008 and released on $5,000 unsecured bail.
As that case was pending, Ali was again arrested by Ofc. Ingemie on February 6, 2008 and charged with Simple Assault, Harassment, Disorderly Conduct, and Criminal Conspiracy. She was arraigned by Coatesville District Judge Robert Davis on February 18, 2008 and released after posting 10 percent of $2,500 bail.
The day after the second incident, according to on-line court records, Ali's pre-trial conference in the Lower Merion incident was continued by Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge William Carpenter after the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office unfathomably agreed to reconsider Ali for that county's ARD program. I wish I were making that up, but, unfortunately, that's not the case.
Despite the fact that there were two open criminal cases in Chester County, Ali's application for ARD was accepted by the DA's office on March 10, 2008; she was formally admitted into the program during a hearing in front of Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Harold Thomson on April 29, 2008.
Ali's Simple Assault charges were withdrawn in Judge Davis' court on March 19, 2008 after she agreed to plead guilty to summary charges of Harassment and Simple Assault (15-1-03, CR-0000041-08). The Burglary case in front of Judge Koon was dismissed on March 31, 2008 (15-1-05, CR-0000004-08).
Even with those two cases subsequently disposed of, they were still active when the Montgomery County DA's office allowed Ali into the ARD program. Had the Lower Merion case occurred in Chester County and Ali had attempted to apply for ARD, the application would likely have been rejected. In fact, if a defendant is approved for ARD by First Assistant District Attorney Pat Carmody (the First Assistant DA in most counties reviews ARD applications) and draws new criminal charges before appearing in Common Pleas Court for formal admission into the program, that defendant's ARD application is revoked and the case proceeds as it normally would.
Even more outrageous is that Ali failed to appear for her preliminary hearing where the charges were ordered held for court, and she was still considered for ARD by Montgomery County officals. In Chester County, the only way an ARD application is considered is if a defendant (1) appears in court and (2) waives the preliminary hearing.
The bar must be set pretty low up in Norristown in order for a defendant to qualify for a program that should be reserved for first-time offenders.
In any event, Ali and Chapman (15-1-01, CR-0000269-09) were arraigned on Monday night by Lionville District Judge Stanley Scott. Ali and Chapman were charged with Witness Intimidation, Retaliation Against a Witness, Simple Assault, Disorderly Conduct, and Harassment; Ali was also charged with REAP, because she allegedly was holding a baby during her role in the assault (15-1-01, CR-0000270-09).
Both women were committed to CCP after failing to post $5,000 cash bail. Preliminary hearings are tentatively scheduled for Tuesday in front of West Chester District Judge Mark Bruno at the Chester County Justice Center.
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