Pacific County Superior Court

Published 7:19 am Monday, August 5, 2024

SOUTH BEND — The following case was the highlight of the Aug. 2 Pacific County Superior Court docket.

Holli N. Hickman, 40 — Just over two months since her arrest for attacking a physician at Ocean Beach Hospital, she pleaded guilty to third-degree assault. The incident unfolded on May 23, when hospital personnel called 911 and said a woman accosted a staff member.

According to court records, Hickman had already been restrained by staff at the hospital when officers arrived. She struck a physician as they attempted to block the blow.

The Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office recommended Hickman be sentenced to six months in jail and 12 months of community custody. She faced a standard range of 4-12 months with an offender score of 2. Offender scores influence future sentences if a person commits additional crimes.

According to court records, the prosecutor’s office also stated in the recommendation that they would be filing a new charge of escape from community custody against Hickman. The charge would come with a four-month sentence to run concurrently with the current sentence.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jonathan Feste attempted to have the case set over for sentencing, which was challenged by Hickman’s counsel, David Arcuri. Judge Donald J. Richter denied Feste’s request and went ahead with sentencing. He accepted the sentencing recommendations.

The conviction is Hickman’s second in the past year-and-a-half for third-degree assault of a staff member at the hospital. She was previously convicted on May 19, 2023, and received a sentence of three months in jail.