A 28-year-old Pearl Street resident tried to convince Judge Charles Zambito to send him not to jail for a year following his conviction on fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, following an incident in June on Central Avenue in which Danny D. Williams pulled a knife on another person.
Williams said he did it to protect a child.
He also admitted that he's had a hard time "doing the right thing" and staying out of trouble.
"I just want to be around for my kids," Williams said. "I know I need to stop hanging out with my friends. I want to be around for my kids."
Zambito admonished Williams that even if anybody else was threatened, there's nothing in the record to indicate Williams was justified in pulling a knife.
"The proper response," Zambito said, "is to call police."
Williams was initially charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, second-degree menacing, and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges stem from an incident which occurred at 8:01 p.m. on June 9 on Central Avenue, Batavia. It is alleged that Williams pulled a knife on an individual during an altercation and that there was a child in close proximity at the time.
Zambito noted that Williams has had multiple felony arrests over the past three years, and they've all been reduced to misdemeanors. He doesn't have a good record on probation, Zambito said.
"The probation department report indicates you will struggle with compliance," Zambito said.
He sentenced Williams to a year of lockup.
