BEDFORD — A Mitchell man was sentenced to two years in the Indiana Department of Corrections after a jury found him guilty of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.
On September 11, Judge Robert R. Cline of Lawrence Superior Court II sentenced Kristepher A. Curtsinger, 37, following a conviction in a jury trial on August 12. After a day of testimony and just 45 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict on the Level 6 felony charge.
Prosecutor Samuel C. Arp II represented the State, while Curtsinger was defended by attorneys Adam Larimer and Nicole Slivinsky from the Lawrence County Public Defender’s Agency.
The case centered on an incident in which Curtsinger fired a handgun from his porch in the direction of his next-door neighbor, with the gunfire striking the neighbor’s van and swimming pool.
“The evidence in this case showed that Curtsinger fired his handgun from the porch of his house in the direction of his next-door neighbor,” Prosecutor Arp said. “While I respect the right for a person to own and use firearms, that doesn’t give you the right to use them in a criminally reckless manner.”
Arp emphasized the importance of public safety. “The safety of the community requires safe handling of firearms,” he stated. “This victim was terrified for over two years based on the actions and choices of this defendant. This sentence helps to keep that victim and his family safe.”
