County Commission candidate begins 100-day jail sentence

Historic City News was informed at about 7:00 p.m. this evening when 59-year-old Merrill Paul Roland, a candidate in the 2014 General Election for a seat on the St Johns County Commission, turned himself in to the St Johns County Jail to begin serving his 100-day sentence.

Roland was convicted during a jury trial, held yesterday, of first-degree battery charges that were filed by the St Augustine Police Department on July 10th. Assistant State Attorney William Ashby Underhill prosecuted the case.

After the jury returned the guilty verdict against Roland, the sentencing judge, Alexander Christine, who adjudicated Roland guilty, allowed Roland, who is handicapped and lives alone, a day to organize his affairs before reporting to the St Johns County Detention Facility at the Neil J Perry Criminal Justice Complex.

Roland must serve the entire 100-days with no credit, pay $300 in victim restitution no later than 30 days of his release from jail, attend Level Two Anger Management classes, in which he must enroll within 30-days of his release from jail, he is to have no contact with the victim, all fines and costs are to be paid within 30-days of his release from jail, and, there is to be no early termination of probation.