By Michael Schaffer - Managing editor
The 35-year-old Centerville man who pleaded guilty to an aggravated and a serious misdemeanor at his pretrial conference June 8 at the Appanoose County Courthouse was sentenced Friday morning.
Judge Kirk A. Daily sentenced Matthew Ray Hiatt to two years in prison, suspended to probation with the Eighth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services. The judge ordered Hiatt to pay more than $900 in fines, 32 percent surcharge, court costs, correctional fees and victim restitution.
The maximum a judge can order for an aggravated misdemeanor is up to two years in prison and a fine from $625 to $6,250 and up to one year in prison and a fine from $315 to $1,875 for a serious misdemeanor.
Appanoose County Attorney Richard Scott had originally charged Hiatt with attempt to commit murder, a class B felony, second degree burglary, a class C felony and first degree harassment and assault on a peace officer, both misdemeanors, according to court documents. The charges against Hiatt stem from a Dec. 31, 2008 incident where he allegedly attempted to strangle to death James Terry Seddon after breaking into his residence at 512 N. 10th St. in Centerville.
Documents show for the aggravated misdemeanor, Hiatt admitted to placing "Seddon in fear of an immediate physical contact which would have been painful, injurious, insulting or offensive" to Seddon. The serious misdemeanor conviction resulted when Hiatt admitted to intentionally "kicking the back door of Officer Kenneth Reistroffer's car from the inside directly into the side of Officer Kenneth Reistroffer."
Hiatt's criminal record includes convictions for trespassing in 1998 and 2008, disorderly conduct in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2005, public intoxication in 2002 and 2005 and criminal mischief in 2005.
