The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Man confronts judge at burglary sentence
John Macko also shouted at judge in 2009 case
Six years ago, John Macko verbally lashed out at Lake County Common Pleas Judge Eugene A. Lu cc ia ft er being sentenced to prison for illegally having a gun at a Willoughby apartment complex.
On Feb. 10, Macko once again got into an alter cation with Lucci before being sentenced to 24 years in prison for committing more crimes while on parole for his 2009 case.
“You’re a piece of (expletive), Lucci! You’re gonna sentence me to the max any way. You have no heart. You’ re a heart less individual !” the 34- year-old former Willoughby man told the judge shortly after asking for mercy.
As Lucci attempted to explain the reasoning behind his sentence as required by law, Macko continuously talked over him and accused hi mo flying.
“You’ re trying to murder me with time!” Macko said over the judge. “But I’ ll be back out again, too. You have no idea who I am.
I do have remorse.”
Lucci then interrupted Macko.
“If you keep competing with me for getting this on the record, I’m going to have your mouth taped, or I’m going to put you in the back where you can listen to the sentence,” said the judge.
A woman in the audience then stood up and started shouting and cursing at Lucci, before being ordered to leave the court.
A jury convicted Macko Jan .26 of aggravated burglary and impersonating a peace officer for an incident that occurred four months after he was released f rom prison.
Assistant Lake County Prosecutor Patrick Condon said the latest incident occurred in the early morning hours of Sept. 19, 2015, at the Kensington Apartments in Painesville.
Macko agreed to knock on the door to talk to someone who owed money to another male with whom he was driving around.
Once the residents opened t he door, Macko and a co-defendant punched and forced their way into the apartment, prosecutors said.
Defense attorney Matthew Lallo argued that Macko’s latest legal trouble was a case of a simple misdemeanor assault and that his client was getting punished for past criminal acts he committed as a juvenile.
“This was not a planned event,” said Lallo. “It was an impromptu stop. John had no idea who lived in the house. Somebody else said, ‘ It ’s t he police.’ He struck am an in the nose, and that’s it. I don’t know how long John has to pay for his past prior bad acts.”
The defense attorney said that Mack one eds mental health help — not more hard time.
“I ask the court not to give up on him. We’ve got to tr y to give him another shot,” Lallo said.
Con don disagreed, successfully arguing that Macko should get additional time as a repeat violent offender.
“John Macko is danger- ous, violent and aggressive toward others,” the prosecutor said.
The victims of the burglary did not attend the hearing.
Macko’s cr i minal his - tory started at the age of 8. He began drinking at that age and doing drugs at 10.
As a child, he stabbed his mother in the face with a ballpoint pen. In prison, he assaulted a corrections officer.
A this 2009 sentencing for illegally having a gun at River Isle Terrace Apartments and viol ati ng his parole on a 1998 aggravated robber y case, Macko stood up and repeatedly shouted expletives at Lucci.
In that case, Macko was sentenced to the maximum five years in prison. He was to be released from prison in 2014, but an additional year was added because he assaulted a corrections officer.
“I ask the court not to give up on him. We’ve got to try to give him another shot.” — Defense attorney Matthew Lallo