Three Found Guilty of Assault at Bench Trial
A bench trial held in Emporium for three people charged with assaulting a man with a shovel ended with guilty verdicts for the defendants.
Last week, Cameron County President Judge Richard Masson presided over a non-jury trial that combined cases against Emporium residents Michael E. Hallowell, age 48, Dana Lee Grovanz, age 35, and Christopher James Grovanz, age 37. The three were charged in connection to a fight that occurred in the business district of the Emporium Borough in April of 2017.
While Masson did find the defendants to be guilty of some charges, he dismissed the most serious crime charged against them: rioting with the intent to commit a felony. Hallowell and Dana Grovanz were each found guilty of one misdemeanor count of simple assault, plus one summary count each of disorderly conduct/engage in fighting and harassment. The two could face up to one year in jail.