Detroit Judge says Sentences for 2 Men Convicted in Driver Mob Beating Will Stand

Latrez Cummings, 19, of Detroit pleads guilty June 19, 2014, in the Wayne County courtroom of James Callahan on assault charges in the beating of Steven Utash, 54, of Clinton Township, Mich.
(Photo: Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

The sentences for two Detroit men given jail time and probation in the mob beating of Steven Utash will stand, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge ruled.

Judge James Callahan denied motions Friday by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office that sought the resentencing of James Deontae Davis, 24, and Latrez Cummings, 19, said Maria Miller, a spokeswoman with the prosecutor’s office.

Callahan sentenced Davis — who admitted striking Utash, a 54-year-old tree trimmer, and took a plea deal — to five years of probation with the first year to be served in jail. According to prosecutors, based on the sentencing guidelines, Davis should have been given 19 months to more than three years of incarceration.

Cummings was sentenced to three years of probation with the first six months to be served in jail. His sentence also drew opposition from the prosecution.

“We think the sentences were not appropriate to the crime,” Miller said. “A decision will be made regarding how we will proceed.”

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Source: USA Today | Robert Allen and Gina Damron , Detroit Free Press