An after-hours trip into Oregon Elementary School has cost a Mt. Morris man his freedom for the next year and a half.
Franklin T. Houston, 28, of Mt. Morris, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after a judge concluded he injured an Oregon police officer while resisting arrest following an after-hours entry into Oregon Elementary School. Houston apologized in court and received credit for 203 days already served; he must serve 50 percent of the 18-month term before becoming eligible for mandatory supervised release. The case has drawn attention locally because it involved an after-hours school entry and a physical confrontation with officers.
As reported by Shaw Local, Associate Judge Anthony Peska handed down the sentence on April 20 and told Houston he was "clearly an intelligent man, but something came in and sidelined your life." Peska ordered the 18-month term and credited Houston with 203 days already served in the Ogle County Jail. Prosecutors argued a prison sentence was necessary, pointing to Houston's prior burglary convictions in Winnebago and Ogle counties. In courtroom terms, that is not a résumé that helps at sentencing.
How the encounter unfolded
Court testimony at trial described Houston entering Oregon Elementary and sitting in a girls' locker-room stall, which alarmed a coach. He left when told to do so and was later approached by officers at Oregon Park West before being stopped in a nearby residential area. Oregon Elementary School lists its address as 1150 Jefferson St., according to Oregon Elementary School. Police say the scuffle during his arrest caused a cut to Officer Breanna Wakeland's thumb and a sprained wrist.
An Ogle County jury found Houston guilty in February of injuring a police officer while resisting arrest, a Class 4 felony, and of misdemeanor counts for resisting an officer and disorderly conduct, according to court coverage. During closing arguments, prosecutors portrayed his behavior as erratic, while defense attorney Brandon Gecan told jurors that Houston has a schizophrenic-like disorder controlled with medication and urged probation instead of prison. The defense also noted Houston had already served roughly 200 days behind bars before sentencing, a point the judge weighed in making his decision, Shaw Local reported.
Sentencing and the law
Illinois law elevates resisting or obstructing a peace officer to a Class 4 felony if the defendant's actions are the proximate cause of an officer's injury, according to Justia (720 ILCS 5/31-1). The state's corrections code sets Class 4 sentences at one to three years, with extended-term options up to three to six years in certain cases, according to Justia (730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-45). Courts also must impose minimum custody or community-service requirements for resisting or obstructing a peace officer.
Houston read a written apology to the court and the school district and asked for a chance to redeem himself; his attorney said Houston could be monitored and treated if placed under probation instead of prison. Peska, however, pointed to Houston's history and the officer's injury when explaining the sentence. For now, the Ogle County sentence stands, with Houston credited for time served and required to serve half the court-imposed term before release to mandatory supervised care.
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