Indiana County President Judge William Martin will conduct two pre-trial conferences today for 21-year-old Simere Alford, the SCI Pine Grove inmate charged with the attempted murder of two state troopers.
Alford is charged with 22 criminal offenses, including two first degree counts of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, seventeen other felonies, and three misdemeanors. As he was being taken back to the prison after a hearing on June 24th, he broke free of his back-seat restraint, reached into the front seat and grabbed the gun of Trooper Jeremy Leasure, who was driving. Alford fired the gun, just missing Leasure’s head. Leasure let go of the steering wheel and reached into the back seat, grabbing the gun as Alford fired a second shot, which hit Alford in the leg and foot.
The vehicle then crashed into a guardrail and Trooper Allison Goswick got out and opened the rear door as Leasure and Alford wrestled. Disarming Alford, Leasure got him out of the vehicle and forced him to the ground. Both troopers and Alford were treated and released at Indiana Regional Medical Center, with Trooper Goswick suffering a broken arm in the crash.
Judge Martin will also conduct a conference on the original offense for which Alford was charged, aggravated harassment by a prisoner.
The judge will also conduct sentencing proceedings for 55-year-old Willie Caldwell Jr. of Clymer, who pleaded guilty to open lewdness and defiant trespass in one case and to open lewdness and disorderly conduct in another.
34-year-old Matthew Pacconi of Indiana will be sentenced for possession with intent to deliver in a drug case.
