Earlyface

Pacer Freguson
A man who punched his girlfriend in the
face, fracturing her skull in three places,
has been jailed for a maximum six
months for misdemeanour assault.
Pacer Anthony Ferguson was also
ordered by Yellowstone County District
Court judge G Todd Baugh to write
“boys do not hit girls” 5000 times.
Ferguson, of Billings, Montana, has to
number the list, sign it and mail it to the
district court judge by May 23, the
Billings Gazette reported.
He was also ordered to pay $3,800
towards his girlfriend’s medical bills.
Ferguson admitted in court that he
punched his girlfriend in the face during
an argument on August 24, 2012.
His girlfriend, who had to have a
permanent mesh titanium plate inserted,
gave evidence during the four-day trial
stating that she suffered from double
vision when she looks up or down and
has occasional numbness and pain in
her face.
The jury convicted Ferguson of the
misdemeanour assault charge. He was
acquitted of more serious charges of
felony aggravated assault and felony
witness tampering.
Ferguson though had to appear was
next before District Judge Gregory R.
Todd for a disposition hearing on a
sentence for a felony attempted robbery
– he attempted to rob a man with a
knife – in 2003.
“As you know, we’ve seen each other
over the course of many years – from
the start of my judgeship,” Todd told
Ferguson, adding that he is going into
his 14th year as a judge.
He ruled that Ferguson violated the
terms of his release for the 2003
robbery multiple times, including the
misdemeanour assault, and ordered him
to spend eight years in Montana State
Prison.
The sentence will run concurrent to
Ferguson’s sentence for the
misdemeanour assault.
Chief Deputy Yellowstone County
attorney Juli M. Pierce said after the
hearing that she respected the two
sentences the judges gave Ferguson.
“We’ll continue to prosecute domestic
violence cases no matter what the
outcome is,” she said, shortly after
Ferguson was taken into custody. “We’ll
continue to fight that fight because
that’s why we’re here – for the
protection of the community.”