Court briefs
Man sentenced An 18-year-old Uniontown man was sentenced to 3 1/2 to 12 years in a state prison for stealing a car in the city last July 24.
Joe Earl Hines of 322 Evans St. was convicted of robbery, robbery of a motor vehicle, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy earlier this month in Fayette County Court.
Hines, along with a 13-year-old accomplice, held a gun to Charles Nelson’s head, according to court records. Hines drove away in Nelson’s $30,000 Buick Century. The car later was found in the Bierer Wood Acres housing project.
The 13-year-old’s fingerprints were found on the car, according to court records, but Hines’ were not. The teen told police that Hines was primarily responsible for the theft.
Judge Gerald R. Solomon sentenced Hines.
Hearing scheduled
The founder of the Church of Universal Love and Music will face a September hearing to determine if he violated a court order that prohibited him from holding concerts on his Bullskin Township land.
William Pritts, who founded the inter-faith, multi-denominational church, could face fines of $500 a day for the four-day “Freedom Festival” held on his land earlier this month.
The concert, featuring 18 bands, was held days after Fayette County Judge Steve P. Leskinen ruled that Pritts was violating zoning rules by holding concerts and charging admission.
Pritts contended that he only asks for donations and was not violating zoning rules, but Leskinen disagreed.
The jurist said he would hold Pritts in contempt to the tune of $500 a day for each day he violated the order.
Leskinen also said Pritts could be held responsible for attorney fees and court costs the county incurred to uphold the order.
The Sept. 25 hearing will come on the heels of “The Boykin Ball,” another of the church’s planned concert events to be held Sept. 11-14, according to the church Web site.
A two-day August concert event was canceled, according to the site.