VERSAILLES, IN — Leo Justice of Moores Hill recently received close to the maximum sentence from a Ripley County judge after pleading guilty to a charge of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (Level 6 Felony).
The 58-year-old Justice was sentenced by Ripley Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Sharp to 7 ½ years in the Indiana Department of Correction.
The penalty stems from June 2021 when he failed to register at the Ripley County Sheriff’s Office as required after his release from the Dearborn County Law Enforcement Center on an unrelated charge.
Justice could have received a 2 1/2 year sentence, but a check of his criminal history by Ripley County Deputy Prosecutor Ryan Marshall determined that Justice was eligible for an enhanced penalty of Being a Habitual Offender, which can increase a sentence on a Level 6 Felony count to a maximum 8 1/2 years.
According to court documents, Justice was not offered a plea deal because of his criminal history and the strength of the case.
Justice entered a guilty plea to the felony count and the Habitual Offender Sentence Enhancement one day before he was scheduled to go on trial.
