PORT ANGELES — A homeless Sequim Army veteran convicted on two counts of felony second-degree assault while armed with a firearm had his sentencing delayed this week to March 7 after the state Department of Corrections recommended he serve seven years and one month for the crimes.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Christoper Melly on Tuesday accepted the recommendation of Keith Roberson’s lawyer, Ralph Anderson of Port Angeles, for the delay so Roberson, 56, can undergo a mental health evaluation that had been scheduled but was delayed due to the evaluator’s health issues, Anderson said.
Recommended term
Anderson said Thursday he will recommend a four-year prison term for Roberson, who has no prior felony record.
Melly set a new time and date for sentencing of 9 a.m. March 7 for Roberson.
Roberson, who served 13½ years in the Army, had claimed he was high on methamphetamine, fearful he was being chased and acted in self-defense when he fired shots during a Feb. 17, 2016, incident involving two men at a South Barr Road residence.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney April King said she might also seek a mental health evaluation of Roberson depending on the results of the ongoing review.
Ronald Gaydeski of Port Angeles, a state Department of Corrections community corrections officer tasked with conducting the pre-sentencing investigation, recommended in his Jan. 30 report that Roberson serve 85 months.
“I have found no evidence that he has taken responsibility for his crimes or expressed remorse for his actions,” Gaydeski said in his report.
“He admits he fired rounds in the neighborhood that night but believes it was appropriate because he wasn’t trying to hurt anybody, he was just trying to get help.
“His actions disrupted an entire neighborhood and had potential long-term repercussions for some of his victims.”
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@ peninsuladailynews.com.
