YOUNGSTOWN — Christopher Wilkinson, 34, of New Middletown will not spend any more time in the Mahoning County jail, Youngstown Municipal Judge Carla Baldwin told the pilot during his plea and sentencing hearing Wednesday.

Wilkinson pleaded guilty during the hearing to inducing panic, a first-degree misdemeanor, for flying too low over Stambaugh Stadium on Sept. 28, 2019, during a Youngstown State University football game.

Assistant Youngstown Law Director James Vivo sought to have Wilkinson’s disorderly conduct and unsafe operation of an aircraft charges dismissed, and the judge agreed.

She sentenced him to 180 days in jail but suspended all but five days — the five days he already served when Baldwin had him arrested for not showing up for his trial in November.

She also ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine, $100 supervision fee and court costs, perform 30 days of community service and write a letter of apology to the people who attended the football game.

Vivo told the judge he felt dismissing the unsafe operation charge was justified because it was “duplication” of the inducing panic offense, and the overall plea agreement was fair because Wilkinson has a “lack of criminal record” and accepted responsibility. Wilkinson is a commercial pilot, his attorneys have said.

Vivo noted that Wilkinson served five days in jail in November, which Vivo said he thought was “more than adequate” for Wilkinson’s offense.

Wilkinson stood before Baldwin with his two attorneys, Greg Finnerty and Patrick Espinoza. Finnerty told the judge that Wilkinson is a “family man with a bright future,” and Wilkinson “feels terrible” about the incident.

SHOWING OFF

Finnerty described the offense as a “plane ride with a friend, and he was showing off his alma mater. He’s a Youngstown State grad himself. He loves Youngstown State. Obviously, he came too close to the football stadium.”

Finnerty said there was “no criminal intent here, though there may have been a measure of foolishness or a lapse in judgment.”

The judge the asked Wilkinson if he had anything to say, and Wilkinson declined.

“Are you sure?” the judge asked.

“I’m sorry. I did not come very prepared,” Wilkinson said.

“I just want to hear from you,” the judge said. “You already pleaded guilty. I don’t think you are a bad person.”

Again Wilkinson declined, saying he was satisfied with what Finnerty said.

“I want to hear from you,” the judge said again.

APOLOGY

Wilkinson then offered an apology that the case took so long. “I’m glad there was ultimately no evacuation (of the football stadium). I do feel I should have been more vigilant at that time with the effect it would have on the people around.”

Finnerty said he believes Wilkinson did not say more because Wilkinson was nervous.

“I do feel remorseful for what happened that day,” Wilkinson then said.

The judge the told Wilkinson she thought the sentence was a “fair resolution” to the case, but, “My concern is for the 4,000 or so people who were at YSU that day.”

She said she believed his conduct was the result of “immaturity, not thinking of the consequences.”

She said she is grateful there was “was no loss of life” or there would have been much greater consequences for Wilkinson.

The case took so long because of Wilkinson and his attorneys filing a document with the Ohio Supreme Court asking that Baldwin be removed from the case, arguing that Baldwin was biased against Wilkinson because she would not accept multiple attempts at a plea agreement.

Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Sharon Kennedy denied Wilkinson’s motion to have Baldwin dismissed, saying Wilkinson “failed to establish that Judge Baldwin cannot be impartial and open-minded in Wilkinson’s cases.”

The charges were filed by the YSU Police Department.

erunyan@vindy.com