Ronald J. Wendt, convicted last year in the drinking-and-driving death of an 18-year-old Dansville girl, appeared in County Court today to have his sentence on two of his charges corrected.
On two charges of assault, 2nd, Wendt was given two-and-a-half to seven years as an "indeterminant" sentence, meaning he could serve any portion of that range and be eligible for parole.
Since his initial sentence, however, authorities realized that on charges of assault, 2nd, a defendant cannot receive an indeterminate sentence.
Today, Judge Robert C. Noonan sentenced Wendt to a two-and-a-half years determinant sentence on those charges.
The change doesn't effect Wendt's sentence on other charges and since the sentencing on all 11 counts were concurrent, Wendt could still be eligible for parole in little more than a year (he served more than a year in jail while awaiting trial prior to his conviction).
For previous sentencing coverage, click here.
Also in court this morning, Patricia Hardesty, accused of shooting her husband in the knee during a domestic dispute in August, entered not guilty pleas to three felony charges, including assault, 1st, and assault, 2nd. Hardesty is out of jail and under the supervision of Genesee Justice. Her husband requested that no order of protection be placed in the case, so none was issued. The couple continues to reside together in their County Line Road home.
