The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mentor man opposes early release of man
He hit and killed his 21-year-old Eastlake brother on motorcycle
It’s been more than 10 years since Mario Redding ran a stop sign and crashed into Eastlake resident Edmund “Eddy” Roland’s Honda motorcycle.
Roland was thrown from his bike on his 21st birthday, and died at Huron Road Hospital from his injuries.
Redding, a Euclid man who had been out on bond on a pending drug case and driving without a license, fled the scene without stopping.
A changed man?
Since being in prison, Redding — now 30 — has racked up 79 infractions behind bars, including threatening the lives of officers, cell phone violations and drug offenses.
However, Redding is arguing he is a changed man, and is now seeking early release from his 18-year sentence.
Redding’s first request for judicial release was denied last year without a hearing based on multiple convictions and a negative institutional report.
However, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Dick Ambrose recently agreed to give
"He did not stop to offer help, call 911 or turn himself in.” — Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley, who said Redding caused the accident and death.
Redding a hearing now that he has not received a rule infraction ticket at Warren Correctional Institution since Jan. 18, 2017.
The hearing is scheduled for July 12.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m a little nervous,” said Jeff Cook, Roland’s brother.
Cook, a 35-year-old Mentor resident, is hoping to gather as many signatures as possible on his online petition to help convince the judge to keep Redding behind bars.
“He has 79 infractions on his prison record. That’s huge,” said Cook. “I used to work at Lake Erie Correctional Institution as a corrections officer, and there were guys with 25, 30 years under their belt and they didn’t even have 10 writeups. I don’t think he’s rehabilitated and proven that he can be trusted. He’s had one good year with no tickets. But I don’t think one good year justifies nine years of severe behavior in prison.”
Roland was struck on July 10, 2007, at the intersection of East 186th Street and St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland near the Euclid border.
Redding pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and unrelated counts of trafficking in crack cocaine and possession of crack.
Defense attorney Paul Daiker recently filed a 59page motion detailing why Redding, who is now married and college-educated, deserves early release.
“... This Honorable Court made it clear to Mr. Redding that if he went a full year in a row without prison, without having any tickets and/or discipline for bad behavior, that this Honorable Court would grant his next motion for judicial release,” Daiker stated.
The defense attorney added that Redding has been housed in the prison’s merit unit since November, and has been enrolled since 2014 at Youngstown State University’s Advance Job Training Program, regularly making the Dean’s List.
In addition, Redding already has a job lined up as a laborer/welding apprentice if he is released. Meanwhile, he has completed a statecertified vocational program in horticulture, become a master grower, and is just a few credits short of his associate’s degree in business, said Daiker.
“Mr. Redding is now 30 years old and is no longer the irresponsible kid who made poor decisions and broke the law,” Daiker wrote. “Mr. Redding has learned that his past behavior and bad choices are not the path that he would like to take to live out the rest of his life. Mr. Redding has begun the process of putting a premium on his family and becoming a productive member of society upon his release from prison.”
“He did not stop”
Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley is opposing the motion for judicial release.
“Since being incarcerated, Defendant had numerous infractions for marijuana use, threatening officers, possessing contraband, being out of place and generally refusing to follow rules and orders,” O’Malley stated in his brief in opposition. “Defendant claims that the court made it clear that he would be released if he did not get a ticket for a year. The state remembers this differently and that this court stated that it would consider releasing the defendant if he remained out of trouble.”
O’Malley also argued that early release would demean the seriousness of Redding’s crimes.
“... (Redding) caused a traffic accident where he killed the person that he hit,” said the assistant prosecutor. “He did not stop to offer help, call 911 or turn himself in. Defendant was only found after detectives went to local body shops with pieces that had fallen off the defendant’s vehicle.”
The life of the party
Cook said he is a forgiving person, but wants justice for his brother.
“He bought the motorcycle for himself the day before his birthday,” Cook said. “He was coming from our friend’s house when it happened. My brother was the life of the party. He was outgoing and happy. He always had everybody’s back. He was an all-around good person. He did a lot for everybody. I had my son after the fact. I actually named my son, who is 7 now, after him.”
Cook said Redding deserves to stay in prison until his release date of Jan. 26, 2025.
“He was a big-time drug dealer,” he added. “He just posted a felony drug bond 20 days before my brother was killed after being caught with 34 grams of crack cocaine. I’m confident that Judge Ambrose is going to do the right thing, but the fact that a hearing has been scheduled concerns me a little bit. I mean, (the judge) let this guy out on three other chances within six months, you know, and he ended up taking a life. He had no business driving.”
Cook’s petition can be found at https://www. change.org/p/honorablejudge-dick-ambrose-denymario-redding.