Conroy begins serving jail sentence
Jul. 8—PLATTSBURGH — Clinton County Legislator Simon Conroy's sentence ultimately aligned with a plea agreement he accepted in May.
Tuesday evening, Plattsburgh Town Court Justice James Joyce sentenced him to 180 days in Clinton County Jail along with payment of a $500 fine and $205 surcharge, a Town Court official said.
According to Mobile Patrol, Conroy's intake took place at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Conroy's attorney, Kristofer Michaud, has said he anticipates the legislator will ultimately serve 99 days if one-third of his time is shaved off for good behavior and once 21 days of time served are factored in.
MULTIPLE INCIDENTS
Conroy, 46, was first arrested in connection with incidents in the City of Plattsburgh in September 2019.
In January 2020, he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree stalking and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors, and was set to serve a year of interim probation before his sentencing.
Following a traffic stop in December in the Town of Plattsburgh, State Police arrested him on multiple charges, including second-degree obstruction of governmental administration, a misdemeanor, which Conroy later denied.
Then in January 2021, he failed to appear for his sentencing on the stalking and resisting arrest charges. Conroy has said he traveled to Mexico during that time to deal with delinquent tenants at a property there, and that medical circumstances prevented him from boarding a flight to make it back in time for the court appearance.
JAIL CHARGES
That absence constituted a violation of his interim probation. City Police arrested Conroy on a bench warrant in early March, and he was jailed for a few weeks.
Toward the beginning of that stint, Conroy was accused of damaging a fire alarm sprinkler head, intentionally plugging up toilets and flooding cell areas, and using ink to write on painted walls.
He later characterized the actions as either accidental or a "nonviolent protest" of his conditions.
Conroy was charged with third-degree criminal mischief, a felony; two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor; and one count of making graffiti, a misdemeanor.
GUILTY PLEAS
In May, Conroy pleaded guilty in City Court to violations of his interim probation and received one- and three-year sentences of probation, to run concurrently.
Michaud has said those periods began May 3 and will not pause during his client's jail time.
In Town Court, Conroy, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mischief and speeding in satisfaction of all other charges related to both the traffic stop and jail incidents.
As the felony was dropped, he was not removed from his legislature seat.
A Democrat, Conroy represents Area 4 of the county legislature, which includes most of the Town of Plattsburgh.
Email Cara Chapman:
Twitter: @PPR_carachapman
