No jail time for vet who brandished rifle at party
By Ashley Meeks ameeks@lcsun-news.com
Posted: 01/13/2012 11:32:45 PM MST
LAS CRUCES - A combat veteran who brandished an assault rifle at a group of partygoers last April - with his friend, a sheriff's deputy, in his back seat - will not serve any additional jail time, a state District Court Judge ruled Friday.
New Mexico State University psychology student Joshua Sanchez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon under a plea agreement with the district attorney's office.
Judge Douglas Driggers could have sentenced Sanchez to 4 1/2 years in prison, thousands in fines and parole had Sanchez been convicted of the original charges.
Instead, Sanchez received 18 months supervised probation and will have to complete 80 hours community service, drug and alcohol screening, counseling and a yearlong anger management program.
Defense attorney Matt Madrid of Las Cruces successfully argued that Sanchez - a decorated member of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division who served two deployments to Iraq - was just one of many returning veterans who make "major mistakes" but still have a chance to turn their life around.
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