Man who pleaded no contest to U-M campus sex crimes will get no more jail time
University of Michigan police released these images of a man they were seeking in connection with a sexual assault on a woman in a residence hall. Adam Hester allegedly approached a dorm resident from behind, reached under the woman’s clothes and grabbed her buttocks before fleeing down a nearby stairwell.
Adam Hester, 25, will not spend any more time in jail for the string of sex crimes on the University of Michigan's campus to which he pleaded no contest last month.
Instead, the Canton man was sentenced to five years probation and 253 days already served in jail by Judge Melinda Morris in the Washtenaw County Trial Court Monday. Hester will also be required to register as a sex offender, undergo a psychological evaluation and not come within 1,000 feet of a school, including U-M's campus.
Adam Hester
Courtesy of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
Assistant Prosecutor Blake Hatlem said the charges could have had a stiffer sentence. Hester pleaded no contest to assaulting and resisting a police officer, two counts of aggravated indecent exposure and fourth-degree criminal sexual misconduct, charges that could have carried a penalty from one year in jail to five years in prison.
Five charges were dropped in the plea deal: two counts of receiving stolen property and counts of indecent exposure, assault and capturing/distributing an image of an unclothed person.
"Essentially what he did was place himself on campus and went on a crime spree," Hatlem said.
Last fall, AnnArbor.com reported Hester was involved in incidents at various U-M buildings that included touching a woman while videotaping it, exposing himself and possessing a picture of a woman in a bathroom stall. Hester was also accused of having a stolen laptop and iPod.
Hester's attorney Byron Pitts said the sentencing guidelines per the plea deal -- the five years probation -- should be followed.
"He has strong family support," Pitts said. "He has a place to go right now."
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
twokidsmom
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:20 p.m.
These days, are kids ONLY around 1000 feet from a school or a college campus????
lindor
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 11:02 p.m.
Do you people realize there are guidelines that judges must follow. Do you also realize that the judges can do NOTHING when it comes to dropping charges in plea deals. A defense attorney can obviously beat a charge, but the only one that can drop charges is the PROSECUTING ATTORNEY. - assaulting and resisting a police officer - felony not more than 2 years in prison by statute - indecent exposure - same - fourth-degree criminal sexual misconduct - misdemeanor not more than 2 years in prison by statute I don't see a one year minimum anywhere so I think the article is wrong. If this guy has no prior record he is starting of with ZERO time in jail. Morris could have let him out on bond and I'm sure the defense attorney tried. The guy served 8 months, right or wrong, it is within the sentence. The other thing is I bet the defense attorney negotiated the "time served" to get him to plead guilty. If people are upset about him not getting more jail time they should worry about the prosecutor dropping 5 more charges, not the judge sentencing him.
Macabre Sunset
Thu, Aug 2, 2012 : 2:37 a.m.
Capital letters aside, I think every prosecutor in the area is well aware that Morris simply doesn't issue strong sentences. Her reputation feeds upon itself. If you draw Morris, you take what you can get as a prosecutor, because she doesn't back the police or the populace. She's a crusader for criminals, and even if you get all these convictions, she will give out the minimum.
Itchy
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 10:40 p.m.
How did Melinda get in her position as judge?
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 9:50 p.m.
Thanks, Melinda. Is it wrong to hope that she has family and Hester moves in next door?
justcurious
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 6:18 p.m.
Judge Morris strikes again. "Five charges were dropped in the plea deal: two counts of receiving stolen property and counts of indecent exposure, assault and capturing/distributing an image of an unclothed person." On the other hand, though this man has served 253 days in jail, another man who allegedly drove drunk and killed a man has yet to go to court almost one year later.
ownrdgd
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 5:12 p.m.
They,the prosecuters office can appeal the sentence,but that will never happen in this slap em on the wrist lets plea the sentence down county.
Youwhine
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 5:09 p.m.
Yes, Melinda Morris is a joke and refuses to sentence offenders. But don't forget about the other half of this equation. The Washtenaw County Prosecutor's office refuses to ever take cases to trial and will plead anything down. They are just as responsible for this if they agreed to toss out all those charges, knowing that sentences are so light in this county.
Jack Campbell
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 4:37 p.m.
Ridiculous. Judge Melinda Morris, you need to go.
slave2work
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 3:10 p.m.
And....... who would want him around your kids????? exposing himself and who knows what else is in his mind. That's just scary. Family can't tie him up so he isn't out by himself.. so he is free to do " his thing".
Linda Peck
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
Horrible decision from the bench.
A2comments
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 2:33 p.m.
His lawyer should be sentenced if he does anything else.
SEC Fan
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 2:07 p.m.
oh come on people. I'm sure he's completely rehabilitated. he can now move on from this horrible and humiliating situation to which he has been subjected. Now he can go back to school, get a degree, and become a real contributor to society! Maybe become a defense attorney to help other poor victims like himself. ...oh wait...well, maybe he can enroll in an online school...or is he banned from that too?
slave2work
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 1:48 p.m.
WOW. The plea dealing and games that are played in the courts. How do you allow someone who obviously has issues just go free?. Probation, as we all have seen, does nothing to hinder offenders. Judge Morris... the let them go judge. shesh!!!!
CPLtownie
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 1:12 p.m.
Fine. Leave him go. Then loosen the carry restrictions on U of M property so students can protect themselves, since the courts deem it acceptable to leave a repeat predator out among the sheep.
CPLtownie
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 8:51 p.m.
Right, because we should just allow a potential rapist loose among undefended college kids, stand by and wring our collective hands when someone's daughter gets assaulted and raped.
Reasonable Doubt
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 4:34 p.m.
right, because college kids are so responsible
Ricebrnr
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 1:05 p.m.
Absolutely disgusting!!!!!!!
jcj
Wed, Aug 1, 2012 : 12:56 p.m.
Judge Melinda Morris cannot be GONE soon enough!