by peter e. bortner
Instead of taking his case to trial Thursday in Schuylkill County Court, Joseph F. Janowski III entered a plea to five charges resulting from an incident in which Pottsville police said he assaulted and threatened his mother in September 2013 at her city home.
Janowski, 39, of Mahanoy Plane, pleaded guilty to prohibited possession of firearm and no contest to terroristic threats, simple assault and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.
President Judge William E. Baldwin, who was to have presided over Janowski's trial, instead accepted his plea, ordered preparation of a presentence investigation and allowed the jurors to go home, but did not immediately schedule the defendant's sentencing.
After entering his plea, Janowski, formerly of Pottsville, returned to the county prison, where he is being held in lieu of $100,000 straight cash bail pending further court action.
Pottsville police said Janowski was arguing with his mother, Cynthia Janowski, at 11:22 p.m. Sept. 2, 2013, when he broke the screen door of her 18 S. 22nd St. home and began choking and threatening to kill her.
Police said he left the home, but returned with a pistol and pointed it at his mother's neck, again threatening to kill her. A juvenile was also present during the incident, police said.
Police said they later received confirmation through a national database that Joseph Janowski is a convicted felon and not legally permitted to possess any firearms.
After a obtaining a search warrant, city police entered Joseph Janowski's property at 14 S. 22nd St. and recovered a Kimber .45 caliber pistol, several other firearms, ammunition and other supplies.
By pleading no contest to the four charges, Janowski did not admit he committed those crimes, but offered no defense to them, acknowledged prosecutors had enough evidence to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and agreed to be sentenced as if he had pleaded or been found guilty of them. By pleading guilty to the firearm charge, Janowski admitted committing that crime.Defendant: Joseph F. Janowski III
Age: 39
Residence: Mahanoy Plane, formerly of Pottsville
Plea: Guilty to prohibited possession of firearm and no contest to terroristic threats, simple assault and two counts of recklessly endangering another person