A 62-year-old Boerne resident, James Lee Topham, pleaded guilty to intentionally striking a woman’s vehicle with his own, causing damage between $2,500 and $30,000. He was sentenced to 8 years in state prison as part of his plea agreement.
On Feb. 19, 2021, Topham was arrested after he struck a woman’s vehicle intentionally. While he initially was charged with the state jail felony – which carries a sentence of up to two years in prison – his punishment range was enhanced to that of a second-degree felony because there was an affirmative finding of the use of a deadly weapon – his vehicle – and because he was found to be a habitual offender.
Records show Topham was convicted of stealing between $200 and $10,000 worth of property in 1982 and convicted of committing aggravated robbery in 1987 when he used a knife to rob a victim. Both crimes were committed in Bexar County.
Topham never had met the $15,000 set in his arraignment after his arrest in February 2021, so 451st District Court Judge Kirsten Cohoon took judicial notice of the 448 days he already had served in the Kendall County jail. This time will go toward his sentence, leaving him with just over 6 years to serve in state prison.
As a part of his plea agreement, the state moved to bar prosecution on additional charges associated with the February 2021 incident, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Beyond his prison sentence, Topham was fined $3,000 and assessed $400 in court costs for his criminal proceedings.
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