FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: MARCH 31, 2017
RE: PRESS RELEASE - DISTRICT ATTORNEY D. HOLLEY CARNRIGHT ANNOUNCES: POUGHKEEPSIE MAN SENTENCED TO 7-14 FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND RELATED OFFENSES. HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT THREE TIMES AND FINED $15,000
Carlos Diggs, 28, formerly of Poughkeepsie was sentenced Friday, March 31, 2017, in Ulster County Court. On the Class “D” felony offense of Aggravated Criminal Contempt, the defendant received the maximum sentence of 3 ½ -7 years in state prison. On the first count of Aggravated Family Offense to which the defendant pled guilty, he received the maximum sentence of 2-4 years. On a second count of Aggravated Family Offense to which the defendant previously admitted, he received 1 1/2 – 3 years. All sentences are to run consecutively.
The victim’s mother spoke at sentencing. Directing her comments at the defendant, she stated that nobody deserves to be treated the way Diggs treated her daughter, “beating her like an animal”. She said that no sentence would make up for the abuse her daughter endured at the hands of Diggs. Additionally, some of the abuse occurred in front of their young son who now experiences nightmares and anger he cannot control.
Diggs also spoke at sentence. He initially claimed to be remorseful, explaining that he grew up in the system where nobody taught him right from wrong or encouraged him to go to school or work. However, he eventually lashed out using profanity and telling the judge to perform sexual acts on him. Diggs was warned countless times and was given the opportunity to apologize to everyone in the courtroom. Diggs did apologize specifically to the prosecutor, Special Victims Bureau Chief Katherine Van Loan, his own attorney Mariann Connolly of the Ulster County Public Defender’s Office, the victim’s mother, the court clerk, court officers and all present. However, after the apologies his tirade continued as he called Ulster County Court Judge Donald A. Williams, “Bro” and repeated his profane comments over and over until he was held in Contempt of Court and fined the maximum amount of $5,000 to be taken from his inmate account. Undeterred, Diggs proceeded in the same vain despite warnings from the judge and was ultimately held in Contempt of Court two more times and fined the maximum amount on each.
Diggs entered his guilty pleas on Friday, January 27, 2017, as jury selection was to begin the following Monday on separate two indictments which contained a total of 54 counts. Forty three of those counts were for the Class E felony of Aggravated Family Offense and were based on attempts to contact the victim by telephone in violation of a court and order while having been convicted of a Family Offense within the preceding five years. The remaining counts for Criminal Contempt, Aggravated Family Offense and Endangering the Welfare of a Child were for physical abuse which occurred in the City of Kingston. The couple had an extensive history of domestic violence in Dutchess County before the victim relocated to Kingston in 2014.
The case broke when the victim appeared at Kingston Hospital
days after the last beating and when the bruises were revealed, the Kingston Police Department responded immediately and took action to apprehend the defendant while safely recovering the victim’s two young children from him.