MILTON RUSSELL ALEXANDER, JR. SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT

Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on April 26, 2007, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, MILTON RUSSELL ALEXANDER, JR., a 24-year-old resident of Poplar, appeared for sentencing. ALEXANDER was sentenced to a term of:

Prison: 14 months

Special Assessment: $100

Supervised Release: 3 years

ALEXANDER was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a person under the age of sixteen.

In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

On February 1, 2006, at approximately 8:30 p.m., ALEXANDER'S 2-month-old son, was left in his care at the home ALEXANDER shared with the child's mother. The mother went to her aunt's home and then to her sister's to visit.

At approximately 9:00 p.m., the child's mother was notified by a neighbor who lived in the house next door to where she and ALEXANDER lived, that ALEXANDER had dropped their son off at this house.

When the mother returned home, she went to the neighbor's house. By the time she arrived, ALEXANDER had already come and picked the child up. When the mother saw ALEXANDER, he was holding the child, who was crying. The mother took him from ALEXANDER and observed that the child was bleeding from his mouth and nose. She also noticed bruising on the child's body.

When she questioned ALEXANDER about what happened, he told her that he was frustrated with the child because he would not stop crying. ALEXANDER asked her not to tell anyone about it. She subsequently left the house with the child and went to her sister's residence.

When questioned by law enforcement, ALEXANDER admitted that he had been drinking alcohol that evening. He also admitted that he bit the child on his body approximately four times because he was frustrated with the child for crying. ALEXANDER further admitted that after the last time he bit the child, the child threw his head forward and "head butted" ALEXANDER.

A doctor who examined the child would have testified that he found numerous injuries on his body that were consistent with shaking, tight gripping, and biting. Another doctor who also examined the child would have testified that he viewed bruising to the child's right cheek, right forearm, right elbow, chin, inner upper lip, and left ear. He would have also testified that the child had injuries consistent with bite marks.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that ALEXANDER will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, ALEXANDER does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna S. Peckham prosecuted the case for the United States.

United States Attorney's Office for the District of Montana
P.O. Box 1478
Billings, MT 59103

CONTACT
Kurt Alme
First Assistant U.S. Attorney
(406) 246-4669