William Roundtree III will report to the Halifax County Jail Thursday to begin a 10-day sentence after he was found guilty late this afternoon of assaulting a Roanoke Rapids city employee in May.
While the jury found him guilty of assault inflicting serious injury, it did not believe he was guilty of first-degree kidnapping, communicating threats, injury to personal property and simple assault.
The jury convened shortly before 11:30 this morning and after requesting information from the court, one request that could have delayed their deliberation until Monday, finally declared they reached a verdict just before 3:45 this afternoon.
The state requested Judge J.C. Cole order mental health and anger management assessments for Roundtree, who on May 1 beat Safety Coordinator Walter Johnson while Johnson was following up on a complaint at Roundtree’s 2100 Roanoke Avenue property.
Greg Perry, Roundtree’s attorney, told Judge Cole his client suffers from mental illness and depression and is on disability for those disorders. “He has lived in Roanoke Rapids all his life. He apologizes for what happened.”
Roundtree did not make a statement when asked by Cole if he wanted to.
Cole was blunt with Roundtree before pronouncing his sentence. “I don’t know what to say,” the judge said, calling what Roundtree did to Johnson, a “despicable crime.”
Cole said there is something the world needs to learn from this, “To treat others the way we want to be treated.”
In the dispute with Johnson, the judge told Roundtree, “There was nothing to treat Mr. Johnson the way you treated him. I view this the same way I view when law enforcement responds to altercations on the streets.”
Cole initially sentenced Roundtree to 75 days in jail but suspended that to 36 months of supervised probation and the cost of restitution to Johnson of $482.79 for lost workdays and his torn jeans.
He was ordered to pay his attorney fee of 52 hours at $70 an hour as well as a community service fee.
Cole ordered that Roundtree have no contact with the witness and that his presence on city property be limited to official business.
He ordered Roundtree to have a mental health assessment and comply with any treatment or medication prescribed. The judge then ordered Roundtree to serve an active sentence in the county jail of 10 days. While Cole wanted Roundtree to begin serving the sentence immediately, Perry asked that he report Thursday. The judge relented, allowing Roundtree to report by 5 p.m. A $10,000 cash bond is required should he fail to report.
“Good luck to you, sir,” the judge said.
The district attorney’s office had no comment following the outcome of the trial, which began Monday with jury selection and opening arguments.
Perry, who in his closing arguments today said the only crime his client could rationally be found guilty of was the assault charge, said, “I think Amy Broughton did a wonderful job. It was hard fought by both sides. I think it was a just decision.”
