(Rev. Herman Lewis in better days)

Good morning, Netizens...

A former Spokane pastor was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison by Spokane County Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen.

Herman Lewis was found guilty last month of first- and second-degree assault and attempted rape for trying to rape a woman who worked as a cook at Shari's Restaurant in North Spokane on April 20, 2007. Lewis also was ordered to pay $7,385 in restitution for ramming a police car in a chase related to the incident. Prosecutors had asked for an 18-year sentence, while Lewis’ defense lawyers requested three years.
Lewis addressed his victims during the sentencing, saying he’s on anti-psychotic medicine and still doesn’t remember what happened. According to Sacred Heart Medical Center Lewis had attempted to sign himself into the psychiatric ward the day before the incident in question.

Until his arrest last year, Lewis was the senior pastor at Morning Star Baptist Church in Northwest Spokane.

When Lewis is released from prison, he’ll have to register as a sex offender under state laws governing sex crimes. Excerpts from the Spokesman-Review Online.

My spin on this story is that if Lewis could have obtained Kevin Coe's legal counsel, he might have gotten the kind of psychiatric care he apparently needed instead of a long jail sentence. You're in the jury box. How would you have voted?

Dave

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