Men enter guilty pleas for RVMC carjacking - May 5, 2005

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2005-05-07

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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, May 6, 2005   Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery  | Contact Us       SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion   Tempo   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   SPECIAL SECTIONS   Since We Asked   Outdoor Journal   Menu Guide   How To Guide   Health   Readers' Choice   Real Estate Showcase   Real Estate Guide   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Passport to the Rogue Valley     SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad  TOP JOBS   EXTRA   Ashland News   NIE   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   Volunteer   Moving here?  eSouthernOregon   CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 5, 2005 Men enter guilty pleas for RVMC carjacking Two Medford men have pleaded guilty to robbery charges stemming from a December carjacking at a Rogue Valley Medical Center parking garage. Jason Scott Isbell, 41, and Eric James Blanchard, 19, each pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery Wednesday in Jackson County Circuit Court. Isbell, who made threats with a knife during the crime, was sentenced to the mandatory minimum sentence of five years and 10 months required by Measure 11, the state’s tough-on-crime law. Because the victim wasn’t injured and Blanchard didn’t use a weapon and had a limited criminal history as an adult, prosecutors agreed to exempt him from the Measure 11 standards. State law allows such exemptions if the offender and the offense meet certain criteria. He was sentenced to four years and seven months. Prosecutor Allan Smith described how Isbell and Blanchard confronted a man getting off work Dec. 17 at the medical center. The two demanded the man hand over his car keys and Isbell threatened him with a knife. Smith said the victim, who had to work Wednesday and didn’t attend the court proceedings, dropped his keys and ran across the parking garage to reach a fellow employee with a phone so he could summon help. The man said he saw his assailants get into his 1993 Ford Taurus, back out of the parking space, then get out of the car and leave. Police initially said Blanchard and Isbell abandoned the car when they noticed it was nearly out of gas. Isbell’s attorney, Christine Herbert, said Wednesday that he had a change of heart and decided not to steal the car. She also said he had been using meth at the time of the crime and hadn’t taken medication prescribed for bipolar disorder. Mail Tribune Home  | Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives  |  Site Map  | Community  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s