Man who painted Burgettstown street will pay for damage
John Cherok II leaves a preliminary hearing in 2014 amid a dispute over his spray-painting of a speed warning on a Burgettstown street.
Mike Jones / Observer-Reporter
John Cherok II was cited by police after he painted this message on Main Street in Burgettstown in an attempt to slow down speeding vehicles.
BURGETTSTOWN – The man who tried to stop speeding in Burgettstown by painting in bold letters “SLOW 25 MPH” on Main Street said he won’t be giving motorists advice again any time soon after agreeing to pay the borough for the message to be removed from the road.
John Cherok II will pay $536 to the borough so its public works crew can remove the white paint in exchange for charges of criminal mischief and disorderly conduct against him to be withdrawn.
Cherok, 55, of Burgettstown, must pay the restitution in three monthly installments by Feb. 20 or face trial on the charges. Walking from his preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon, Cherok said he had no comment on the agreement, but that he would not paint on borough roads again.
Cherok previously said he spray-painted the warning to motorists in the 1600 block of Main Street after nearly being hit by a car while crossing the street on Labor Day weekend.
“I think he had good intentions,” said attorney Russ Korner, who represented Cherok at the hearing. “Whether (he) went about it the right way or the wrong, I think is irrelevant at this point because the matter is going to be resolved.”
Cherok, who has lived in the borough for 15 years and owns a store on Main Street, already admitted to painting the message, but planned to plead not guilty and fight the charges.
However, the agreement followed lengthy discussions between Korner and his client behind closed doors after negotiating the deal with Assistant District Attorney Josh Carroll. District Judge Gary Havelka suggested Korner speak to Cherok about consequences of being found guilty in the case.
“You’ve explained to him he can’t scribble over public property any time he’s unhappy with something?” Havelka asked Korner before the agreement was finalized.
“I’ve explained everything to him about the facts and the law,” Korner said.
Burgettstown Council Vice President Phoebe Suica attended the hearing and said the borough is pleased with the resolution. The borough’s public works crew plans to apply a sealant covering the white paint, which could still be seen on the roadway Thursday.