Crawford, Bandy to appeal sentences

Christopher Crawford and Albert Bandy have decided to file a motion for reconsideration, after Common Pleas Judge Anthony DeFino sentenced them to 20 to 40 years in prison Monday for their involvement in a series of robberies which culminated with the September shooting of College senior Patrick Leroy. The third person involved in the crime, Christopher "Big Boy" Jones, was previously sentenced to 20 to 60 years in a state correctional institute for driving the get-away car and participating in several other armed robberies. But in light of the relative severity of Jones' sentence, Leroy said he was "a little upset" about Crawford and Bandy's punishment, which he described as "a little lenient." He maintained that, contrary to previous police reports and courtroom testimony, the criminals "never asked us for money, so we were never mugged." Leroy said Crawford and Bandy simply ordered him -- along with College senior Leonard Dunn and Wharton senior Cameron Reilly -- to follow them into an alley. He added that he "didn't have two seconds" to respond to the demands before being shot by Crawford. University Police Detective William Danks, who was involved in the investigation, said that although Crawford's and Bandy's sentence was "very stiff," the two "actually got a break" because the sentence was the minimum possible for such incidents, which can carry up punishments of up to 130 years in prison. But Defense Attorney Louis Priluker said the length of the punishment was disappointing, but added that "I don't think the judge was unfair." Priluker said the motion for reconsideration -- which must be filed within 10 days of Monday's trial -- will focus on "various legal issues," which he did not specify. Crawford and Bandy pleaded guilty February 14 to all criminal charges -- including attempted murder, robbery and conspiracy -- stemming from six separate armed robberies, four of which involved members of the University community. The crime spree ended last September 25, when the two robbed Leroy, Dunn and Reilly with a semiautomatic weapon at 40th and Locust streets. According to police reports and courtroom testimony, Bandy ordered the students not to run away, and urged Crawford to shoot Leroy after the student reportedly responded "don't tell me what to do." In an interview yesterday, Leroy said he "was not exactly sure" whether the sentencing would help deter neighborhood crime. "Maybe this will change things because there's something on paper," he speculated, but added that it was more likely that drug-related crimes would persist in spite of such arrests. Priluker also said the sentencings would do little to deter similar criminal activity. "Most crime committed of this nature is drug-related," he said, explaining that substance abuse prevents people from rationally considering their actions. He added that most people who engage in such criminal activity do not think about the punishments they may face because they do not read newspapers. But Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush -- who said that DeFino's sentencing of the two was justified -- disagreed, noting that criminals "will think twice about victimizing other members of that community" when they sense that "a community of people will not stand by idle when one of their members is victimized."