Cody Gene Anson | Bingham County Jail POCATELLO — A man has been sentenced to a minimum of seven years in prison after reaching a plea agreement with the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office. Cody Gene Anson, 30, was ordered to spend seven to 10 years in prison for domestic battery by District Judge Rick Carnaroli at a sentencing hearing Thursday. This sentence will be served concurrently with a two-year sentence, two five-year sentences and another sentence of seven to 10 years. Prior to issuing his sentence, Carnaroli said Anson’s was the worst case of partner violence he has presided over. “Your behavior, frankly, was out of control,” the judge said. “You are the poster child for domestic violence law.” RELATED | Blackfoot man gets plea deals covering 26 charges and two counties After reaching an agreement with the Bannock County Prosecutor’s Office, Anson pleaded guilty to felony charges of injury to a child, witness intimidation, domestic violence, domestic battery and domestic violence with traumatic injury. The plea agreement also included a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge for second-degree stalking. In exchange, a total of 10 charges were dismissed. Between 2021 and 2022, Anson was arrested or cited 15 times in Bingham and Bannock counties and charged with 40 crimes. Many of the charges in Bannock County listed his wife as the victim. She provided a victim impact statement at Thursday’s hearing, asking for leniency from the court. The defense attorneys did similar, requesting Carnaroli send Anson on a rider. Prosecuting attorney Zoie Laggis insisted that Anson was not a proper candidate for the rider program, stating that he successfully completed the program in 2017. “We’ve tried rehabilitation. It doesn’t work,” she said. “He needs punishment for his actions.” Laggis said Anson has not only shown a history of violence and aggression toward his partner, but has also taken to victim-blaming. During one of the attacks, she continued, the victim was knocked unconscious and awoke to Anson dragging her body toward the Portneuf River. Laggis read transcripts of phone calls between Anson and the victim while Anson was in jail. According to the transcripts, he was attempting to convince the victim to lie in order to diminish charges. “When he wasn’t incarcerated, he continued to commit crimes. When he was incarcerated, he continued to commit crimes,” she said. Before yielding her time, Laggis noted that Anson was placed in a “high-risk category” for spousal abuse. She asked the court how much longer it would be before Anson killed the victim or someone else. Anson also spoke, saying that having been sober for seven months he is willing to accept responsibility for his actions. “I can’t change the past, but that past has changed me,” he said. Carnaroli explained to Anson that his process for sentencing is come up with a range of punishments beforehand, then allow statements in court to aid his final decision. The judge said that, according to his knowledge of Anson’s criminal history, Anson needed to be in complete control of his relationship, and the outcome of its interactions. “Today is the day that you gave me control of the outcome,” Carnaroli said. Carnaroli said he could not accept drug and alcohol use as justification for Anson’s crimes. He then cited a pre-sentence investigation, which listed Anson as a “significant, potentially lethal” risk to his current or future partners. Finally, the judge said that the community “cannot tolerate” the type of violence Anson has shown. For the injury to a child charge, Carnaroli sentenced Anson to two years in prison. He added five years for stalking, five years for witness intimidation, seven to 10 for domestic battery and another seven to 10 for domestic violence with traumatic injury. In addition, Anson was ordered to pay a total of $3,287.50 in fees and fines. The prison sentences will be served concurrently, with the others Anson received Thursday as well as the two to 10 years he received in Bingham County in December. RELATED | Blackfoot man arrested 15 times in 2 years sentenced for four Bingham County felonies The post Judge calls Blackfoot man ‘poster child’ for domestic crimes before ordering him to prison appeared first on East Idaho News .