A Butler County judge acknowledged that a defendant from Ohio had “a salty record,” but noted that he has stayed out of trouble for several years, granting his request for a commuted prison sentence.

Michael L. Crawford, 47, of Cleveland, pleaded guilty to firearms not to be carried without a license after being pulled over in his car by Cranberry Township police on Jan. 5, 2019.

During Crawford's sentencing Thursday, Judge Timothy McCune noted that Crawford's “salty record” included 19 arrests, 13 of which resulted in convictions in his adult life.

Assistant District Attorney Robert Zanella asked McCune to send Crawford to prison for 18 to 36 months for a firearm violation, but Crawford's lawyer, Kimberly Hudak, asked McCune to immediately parole Crawford.

McCune ultimately decided to grant Hudak's request after determining that Crawford is not a danger to society and has abided by the law during the past few years. Crawford was also credited for 209 days for time already served.

Hudak began her argument for parole by observing that she has learned “over the last year living in this country” that interactions between police and someone like Crawford, who is Black, can often end in violence. She said that when police pulled Crawford over in 2019 for tinted windows, the interaction could have turned violent but it didn't, she argued, because Crawford cooperated with police.

“He fully complied, knowing he did something very wrong,” Hudak said.

According to police, when they spoke to Crawford they found a 9 mm pistol in the car. Police said that Crawford immediately told them that he has prior felonies and does not have a license to possess a firearm.

Hudak said that Crawford cares for several children along with his mother.

“If he goes to jail, no one would benefit. He's not a danger to anyone. If he goes to state (prison), it would be pure punishment,” Hudak said. “Crawford made all the right decisions (when stopped by police) and that has to be acknowledged.”

Crawford also apologized for the case and told McCune, “I'm a working man. I learned from my past.”

He continued, “Please give me the opportunity to show I have changed.”

After paroling Crawford, McCune explained his reasoning to Zanella.

“It's a little out of the ordinary, but I'm doing this because he hasn't been in trouble for quite a while,” McCune said. “If you hadn't changed your ways, I would have sent you to prison.”