By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Six years after being locked up for life, former Centralia resident Thomas L. Pleasant wrote a letter to a judge in Lewis County asking for help.
He didn’t want help getting out, he just wanted a warrant quashed.
Pleasant said he robbed a church and its pastor and then two women, all in Cowlitz County. He took a plea on three armed robberies and second-degree assault and accepted the sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, he wrote.
Thomas L. Pleasant
“I have no appeals or any action of ever being released, and I am okay with this,” Pleasant wrote.
He explained that inmates in his position are allowed limited privileges and those with outstanding warrants must deal with them before some jobs and some education are made available to them.
He mentioned he owes some $10,000 in fines, that he’s sorry to his victims and that he has maybe 20 more years left to live.
“Drugs completely ruined my life,” Pleasant wrote.
“It’s a short amount of time to pay back what I can,” he stated. “I am humbly asking the honorable courts to quash my warrant so I may seek help in doing what I can to get right.”
The arrest warrant was issued in September 2008 from Lewis County, after he was apprehended for his Cowlitz County spree.
The charges: first-degree robbery and first-degree rape for the July 16, 2008 hold up at the Subway sandwich shop in Chehalis, in which he confessed to tying up the female worker with an electrical cord and putting her in a walk-in cooler. He denied sexually assaulting her.
Lewis County filed the charges, but never pursued them.
It appears from Pleasant’s court file his letter from August 2014 went unanswered. He sent a second letter this past September, making the same request.
He warned that his life would be in danger if he has to face a charge of rape, as in, a serious “beat down” or stabbing, especially from young inmates trying to gain a reputation, he wrote.
Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead responded in December, by getting a judge to order Pleasant be transported from Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen to the Lewis County Jail.
Halstead said the case was revived because prosecutors are required to bring people back if they ask to have a warrant quashed.
Pleasant appeared before a judge finally a week and a half ago.
“We didn’t quash it,” Halstead said. “We’re going forward with the case.”
Pleasant pleaded not guilty last week in Lewis County Superior Court to first-degree robbery and first-degree rape. A trial date was set, but a review hearing was also scheduled for this Thursday.
The now-50-year-old is represented by Centralia attorney Don Blair.
“Mr. Blair was hoping we could resolve it right away,” Halstead said, acknowledging “resolve” means some sort of plea deal.
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For background, read “Chehalis case from 2008 sandwich shop robbery, rape revived” from Friday February 26, 2016, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Essentially barring a guy by from being able to make restitution for his crimes at the same time as blowing taxpayer money by spending it to convict a man who cannot face an increased penal action of any kind sounds really irresponsible and depraved. It’s really fucking stupid. Since when is our justice system built on a structure of revenge and fiscal irresponsibility?I think Mr. Halstad needs to start pissing in a cup from time to time as his choices are more like that of a dope fiend than a public servant. ……. You are a PROSecutor, not a PERSecutor.
This trolling sure is fun! Especially when poking a sociopathic sleeping bear! I’ll leave you alone from now on slime…er uh, slim. I know how fragile your on-line persona can be. Don’t forget to get your fluoride treatments! LOL
Off-topic for a moment but, Slim, I don’t blame City of Centralia mismanagement for the closing of the Pearl Street pool. Those things are historically money drains and taxpayers are typically asked to cough up bucks from time to time to keep them open. It happens everywhere and it’ll happen in Chehalis, too. There’s no mismanaging a black hole.
Slim: you sure are online alot for being a busy contractor!! Haha Oh also since ur making the good $ and constantly commenting on every article, give some $ to this site and advertise your money making business here!! Haha
Pending your funny. You cant spell my name right and claim im selling out my dope growing neighbors all from The freedom of information act. And the part if the other inmates knew my information. When am i doing all this jail time while im making 500 dollars a day as a contractor. Then you say your just trying to help me Bro! Your the one bringing up the BS Bro! Yet your trying to help me. The facts are clear the Juvenile. Justice system has a Tax payer bought green house that is not being used for any rehabilitation purposes, If you can see this from the outside going on then whats going on in the inside. Oh thats right emplyess are having sex with the inmates.
I say hang him
Arrested lol…. no snitching here.. being a contractor i dont need to look over my sholder. Ever. You must br thing of Colbys partner. Get some body cameras officer
But David, aren’t you the guy that rails against government, hates everything about the police, but then snitches to them every time you’re arrested? You’re getting awfully manic again, Dave. It always starts out with the bizarre rants, next thing you know you’ll be getting arrested for something totally stupid and you’ll be trying to sell out your dope growing neighbors again! The freedom of information act told me all about your past. I wouldn’t sling mud too far, if the other inmates knew your secrets…just trying to help you bro!
Lol, ‘Pending’ hate crap! Look towards Green Hill, Its a clear fact that the green house paid for by the Tax Payers is sitting empty year after year. When you can see the facts with your own eyes how is this hate crap? Its really a clear fact that those that hold our Tax dollars have failed to use it properly. For Example the Centralia pool. Poor use of the communitys funds has closed this once viable public asset. Instead police cars are painted and rainbow colored bikes line our sidewalks, while the pool sits in limbo. Yet Chehalis seems to keep this pool in operation. Rotting Sand bags plauged our local street corners for years until someone broght it to the Citys attention. Results sometimes take drastic measures, but today I can appreciate that the eye sores have been removed. The beauty of having a gun pointed at you by a police officer for picking up trash on city sidewalks tells me that the system is broken. Not to get of topic but if the city cannot manage a public pool properly then how can they operate a justice system that has a changing affect on offenders. With no job skills or life changing programs people cannot be helped. Every day I see people with mental problems wandering the streets of Centralia, yet theres no real help for them until their jailed and run through the failed justice system.. im proud of my Job myself and where I have been and what i have become. Yep even felons have lives familys and futures. So good thing you Thought Pending… without you I might of forgotten my name. Oh theres no E on the End.
I thought David Lowe wasn’t allowed to blog his hate crap on here anymore!?!?!
Screw him. Yeah let’s see what we can do to make HIS time in prison more bearable. What about the victims?
Awww he only has limited privileges. When serving life rehabilitation is not an option so who cares if he he has less privileges than he likes. That is why they are called privileges and not rights!!
Please let’s not send any message to inmates that even if they have no appeals, or are not asking to be set free they are expected to do TIME not vacation.
For all have sinned fall short of the glory of God.. With the news and spot light on him puts his life at risk. Sex offenders aka. Rapists wear a jacket that causes attack by other inmates. Kevin was killed in Walla Walla a few years back for having a high profile case. To get Kevins full name you must research. This case is one that puts a mans life at stake. What waste of a life more and more programs have been taken from from Inmates due to budget cuts. At one time you could learn a legal trade in prison, any more you get a Phd. In prison crime school. If only there were programs for troibled people in trouble. Need a ptime example of lack of programs. When you drive by Green Hill Juvenile home for boys look at the Green house. Notice nothing is growing inside of it. The plants are all dead just like the justice system. Want a good tip to spruce up Centralia. Use Inmate labor so the inmates can be seen in the community in the light instead of the Dark. Progress is change fix the system and the society. Will grow forward and joyfull. Just like a plant you must take care of it to grow. So sad for all have sinned some just eorst then others. No judgement to be passed but only by thee Great God.