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3 more COVID-19 deaths reported in Luzerne County; 26 new confirmed cases

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A state appellate court upheld the lengthy prison sentence for a man who admitted to killing a former co-worker and injuring his girlfriend inside a Wilkes-Barre residence and on a separate case of shooting a man he blamed for a botched tattoo.
				Robert Rodriguez, 25, challenged his sentence imposed by Luzerne County Judge Joseph Sklarosky Jr. claiming the judge failed to take into account his remorse and mistakenly set up the sentences to run consecutively.
				Rodriguez was charged by city police with fatally shooting Trevor Oliver and injuring Vanessa Bartista, inside their Hutson Street home on Feb. 7, 2018.
				Five days earlier, Feb. 2, 2018, police alleged Rodriguez shot Lamont Garcia in the abdomen outside a barbershop on Parrish Street.
				Rodriguez was separately prosecuted on each case. He pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and criminal attempt to commit aggravated assault and was sentenced by Sklarosky to 23-to-51 years in state prison.
				Sklarosky also sentenced Rodriguez to a consecutive term of 21 months to six years after he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for the Garcia shooting.
				Rodriguez appealed the sentence to the state Superior Court.
				A three-member panel of the appellate court in an eight page ruling issued Tuesday dismissed Rodriguez&rsquo;s appeal.
				&ldquo;Although a 24-year minimum sentence may appear harsh on the surface, it is not manifestly excessive in light of the crimes Rodriguez committed,&rdquo; the Superior Court opined.
				&ldquo;(Rodriguez) asserts that (Sklarosky) erred in failing to take account of his acceptance of responsibility. Rodriguez has not raised a substantial question and we cannot reach the merits of his issues on appeal. Further, our independent review of the record reveals no other meritorious issues. Judgments of sentence affirmed,&rdquo; the appellate court opinion ends.
				A co-defendant in the Hutson Street fatal shooting, Isaiah Tyrone Jennings, 22, pleaded guilty to similar charges and was sentenced by Sklarosky to 24-to-48 years in state prison.
				Assistant district attorneys Gregory S. Skibitsky Jr. and Gene M. Molino prosecuted the cases.

Superior Court upholds admitted killer’s sentence