Joliet Mayor Sentenced in PFMA Case
By Denise Rivette
On Wednesday, May 14, Joliet Mayor Dakota Mitchem was sentenced in Carbon County District Court for his role in a domestic violence incident that took place December 17, 2023. The Honorable Matthew J. Wald followed the joint recommendation of the County Attorney Alex Nixon and defense counsel Michael Ellinghouse by sentencing Mitchem to 12 months incarceration with all but one day suspended, a fine of $500, completion of a 40-hour anger management and 16-hour parenting classes, along with other restrictions and conditions. As alcohol was determined to be a contributing factor in this situation, abstention from alcohol and non-prescription drugs is also a component of the sentence. In addition, he is barred from possessing firearms, explosives or destructive devices during the term of his sentence.
Originally charged as felony assault with a weapon using the “probable cause” standard for arrest, after investigation and application of the “reasonable doubt” standard for conviction, the charge was reduced to misdemeanor reasonable apprehension partner/family member assault (PFMA), first offense. “Reasonable apprehension” in law means that the victim the has a reasonable belief that the act will lead to imminent harmful or offensive contact.
At the sentencing hearing, the victim asked that Mitchem be incarcerated for two months. She detailed abusive history not detailed in the charging documents and asserted that the defendant’s public behavior differed from his behavior behind closed doors. She said she hoped by coming forward she would save others from abusive behavior and its ongoing effects. Several members of the community wrote letters in support of Mitchem. Mitchem offered his apologies, stating, “I’ve taken the situation very seriously and, over the past eight months, I have attended anger management counseling, parenting courses and have gone through a chemical dependency evaluation. During this time, I have taken the opportunity to reflect and focus on the important things in my life. I am remorseful for the events that unfolded on the 17th of December and have used this experience and the tools I have learned in anger management counseling and parenting courses to change my direction in life…I will continue on my path of being the best father, son and friend that I can be.”
Judge Wald in handing down the sentence considered the victim impact statement and letters of support for Mitchem and acknowledged that public and private behavior can be quite different. Judge Wald acknowledged the details presented in the victim impact statement and as well as the fact that he couldn’t hand down a sentence based on the original charge in the case, only the charge in front of him. Taking into account all of the factors, he agreed to accept the joint recommendation.