Tragedy of heroin epidemic’s toll continues; one dead, one headed to prison
Mark Farrell
Scott Beveridge/Observer-Reporter
Dalton James Lawson arrives for his preliminary hearing at Washington County Courthouse in August 2017.
Dalton James Lawson
Those charged with crimes have a right to address Washington County Court at their sentencing hearings.
Sometimes they choose not to. Usually, if they speak, they face the judge.
Dalton Lawson, charged with delivery of a drug resulting in death, in ankle shackles and hand cuffs Friday afternoon, turned first toward the family of Mark Farrell, who died April 3, 2017, from an overdose of fentanyl-laced heroin.
He looked straight into the face of Farrell’s grief-stricken mother, Debra, and said, “I can only ask everyone here in the courtroom and God for forgiveness. Nobody deserves to lose their life in such a fashion.”
Lawson, 25, then turned toward his own family and apologized to them for the shame he caused them in admitting to the felony charge.
Members of Farrell’s family spoke up, too, telling of their loved one, who was Charleroi Area High School Class of 2012 president; a song writer who was drummer in the band The Lucky Strikes; and a man with a big heart who carried bottled water in the trunk of his car to distribute to the thirsty and gave money he could ill-afford to feed the homeless.
The victim’s brother, Jeremy, gave chilling testimony, telling Judge Gary Gilman, “It’s been two years since my brother was carried out of our childhood home in a body bag.”
In asking for the harshest sentence possible, Farrell’s father, Terry, said, “When you lose a son, it stings through eternity,” and pointed out that Lawson, when charged, was on parole. He said his son had been in recovery for 11 months in Florida but returned to Speers after breaking up with his girlfriend. He was at home for just three days before he died at age 23.
The judge also heard from the defendant’s loved ones. His aunt, Virginia “Jennifer” Lawson also faced the Farrells and said, “This has touched all of our families. A person chooses to use drugs just as a person chooses to sell drugs.”
She said Lawson’s parents and one grandfather also struggled with addiction. Her nephew attended Community College of Allegheny County intending to become a nurse, but his plans were derailed when he lacked transportation and money to buy books, something she said she learned of “after the fact.”
Lawson suffered from a shoulder injury while working on an excavation project, and he became addicted to Percocet, she said. When his prescription ran out, he turned to heroin.
Lawson did not deal directly with Mark Farrell, 23, but with an intermediary who was not charged.
His attorney, Ryan Tutera, asked that the judge sentence his client to 3 ½ to 7 years, which was below the mitigated range.
Deputy District Attorney Leslie Ridge told Gilman that in characterizing himself as an addict, Lawson knew he was preying on other addicts.
“The pain and suffering of the Farrell family was very palpable today,” she said. “It almost takes my breath away. Mr. Lawson still gets to live his life. Mr. Farrell does not. You don’t choose to be an addict, but Dalton Lawson chose to sell drugs.”
Gilman imposed a prison sentence of five to 10 years, ordered Lawson to be evaluated for drug and alcohol abuse, comply with any treatment and have no contact with Farrell’s family members, who are seeking restitution for funeral expenses.
“It’s a lose-lose scenario all the way around,” Jeremy Farrell said after court was adjourned. Terry Farrell, who advocated for a 10- to 20-year sentence for Lawson, said, “The guidelines should have been tougher.”
Tutera, who met with Lawson’s family and supporters after the hearing, said he also “totally disagrees with the law,” but for different reasons: the intermediary avoided liability; that addicts tend to seek the strongest drugs available; and that incarceration results in “warehousing people.
“When does any of this make sense?” he asked.