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Jamail Robertson, 27 of Lancaster, was once a QB and DB on J.P. McCaskey's Varsity football team, according to his 2014 MaxPreps profile. On Thursday morning, Judge Margaret Miller sentenced him to return to prison after being sentenced to 2 ¼ to 5 years for assaulting a Lancaster City Bureau of Police officer, Lancaster City Prison guard, and Lancaster General Hospital security guard, the DA's office detailed in the release.
In March, Robertson had pleaded guilty but mentally ill to two counts of aggravated assault, no contest to robbery, and guilty to false identification to a law enforcement officer and retail theft before Judge Miller. Before his sentencing, he entered the same plea to a third count of aggravated assault, the DA explained.
"Robertson had been previously ruled incompetent to stand trial but was determined competent after a period of treatment at Torrance State Hospital," the DA said.
His lawyer requested a reduced sentence as Robertson committed the offenses while in a “psychotic state” and explained that the system had "failed the defendant," as stated in the release.
Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman, who prosecuted the cases, noted the following according to the release:
"[Robertson] had many opportunities to get help as he’s been involved in the criminal court system for over a decade, but instead burned a civilian and assaulted public workers. 'He keeps attacking people whose No. 1 job is to protect the public,' Fetterman said. 'They are part of the system. The system has tried to help him and what has it gotten in response? Public servants being attacked.'"
Robertson responded that he “didn’t attack nobody or hurt nobody.” Judge Miller responded, “Actually you did attack and hurt somebody.” The judge then went on to explain that she "has worked with individuals with mental illness during her time as a defense attorney and as a judge overseeing Mental Health Court" noting that "there was no way of knowing if Robertson would willingly stay on his medication and that the legislature has determined it’s appropriate to hold individuals with mental illness accountable regarding aggravated assaults against healthcare workers."
“I will not go into mitigated range because Mr. Robertson has had opportunities to address this,” Judge Miller said. “But I will keep my sentence at the low end of the guidelines.”
His offenses the Judge was referring to included:
On April 2, 2023, he struck a Lancaster City Bureau of Police Officer causing a cut to his bottom lip that required stitches.
That same day, Robertson struck a security officer at Lancaster General Hospital.
On Sept. 5, 2023, Robertson left his prison cell without permission, and at one point he placed his hands around the neck/throat of a Lancaster County Prison Correctional Officer.
In October 2022, at a Turkey Hill a Manheim Township, Robertson took a cigar without paying and then gave police false names.
In December 2022, at a store in the 1300 block of Lititz Pike, Manheim Township, he pushed a lit cigar against the victim’s thumb and grabbed money lying on the cash register.
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