December 4, 2017- Commonwealth v. Joseph F. James:  Dauphin County Judge Scott Arthur Evans sentenced Joseph F. James to a mandatory minimum ten year sentence after James pleaded guilty to several charges today.  James, 29 of Steelton, pleaded guilty pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement shortly before receiving the ten to twenty year state prison sentence. 

• On March 21, 2015, James was charged with robbery after he entered the A-Plus Store at 19^th and Paxton Streets in Harrisburg and began arguing with the store clerk.  Joseph then threatened the clerk with a gun and walked out without paying for a sixteen ounce soda. 
• On March 18, 2015 James was charged with robbery after he walked into the Linden Terrace apartment building at 1201 Front Street Harrisburg and threatened two residents with a gun before he took their belongings. 
• On March 21, 2015 James was charged with aggravated assault after he and another man shot a man in the leg near the Third Street Café in Harrisburg during a robbery attempt. 

Pursuant to the negotiated plea agreement, James received a mandatory minimum ten year prison sentence for the three cases.  He is a second strike offender due to a 2010 Dauphin County robbery conviction.  Under Pennsylvania law, a second strike carries a ten year mandatory minimum sentence if a person is convicted of a second crime of violence. 

The cases were investigated by Harrisburg Police Detective Richard Iachini and prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Stephen R. Zawisky.  Zawisky stated that cooperative victims and witnesses and great police work resulted in James’ arrest and conviction.  Zawisky stated: “The second strike law is designed to punish repeat violent offenders.  In 2010, James was sent to state prison for several deliveryman robberies that took place in Harrisburg.  Once released he quickly re-offended and a ten to twenty year sentence was certainly appropriate.”