Pittsfield — On Tuesday, July 5, the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office obtained a guilty verdict and a three to four year sentence in state prison for Jason Ostrander, 41, of Pittsfield.
According to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office, Ostrander, a Pittsfield resident, was arrested in May 2020 after the Pittsfield Police Department responded to a residence for a reported domestic disturbance.
While he was detained during his pretrial, Ostrander sent the victim a letter urging the victim not to testify in court against him.
The District Attorney’s Office obtained the letter and used it in the trial.
The trial lasted for two days and ended with a Berkshire Superior Court jury finding Ostrander guilty of the witness intimidation charge.
However, the jury found Ostrander not guilty of the strangulation charge.
Judge Jane Mulqueen agreed to the sentence as recommended by the District Attorney’s Office.
“Victims of intimate partner violence are often understandably afraid to participate in prosecutions, and offenders can be very manipulative,” District Attorney Andrea Harrington said as quoted in the press release. “I am proud of the trial team for continuing to pursue this case. I thank the jury for their deliberations and I thank the Pittsfield Police Department for swiftly bringing Ostrander into custody that evening.”
