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CASSOPOLIS — A local man was sentenced to jail Friday in Cass County Circuit Court for drug possession.  

Dennis Wills Henslee, 45, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine as a habitual offender and was sentenced to 365 days in jail with credit for 100 days served. He must also pay $2,048 in fines and costs.

      The incident occurred July 29 in Wayne Township outside of Dowagiac. Police were called after he was found yelling outside of a home and they found meth on him when he was arrested.

      Defense attorney Greg Feldman noted that Henslee was celebrating getting out of prison when he was arrested. Since then, he said Henslee has had a health scare with an ear infection.

      “Since my medical diagnosis, I started to re-evaluate what’s important in my life,” Henslee said. “I’m changing my people, places and things. I want to put this behind me so I can have a better future … I thought I had all the time in the world to change and I realized I don’t.”

      Cass Circuit Court Judge Mark Herman pointed out that this is Henslee’s 12th felony conviction, the ninth for meth. “You’ve thrown away seven years of your life, five of them in prison and the other two in jail,” he said.

“Does it make sense to waste your life on meth?” he asked. “It doesn’t look like meth is a good time at all, it’s hard time and that’s where it leads. You’re old enough and experienced enough to realize that it’s either meth and incarceration or not, over and over. But for this agreement, it’s going to be prison over and over and over. It’s not rocket science.”

“I’m putting you, your attorney and the prosecutor on notice,” the judge said. “If you’re ever before me again for possession of meth, don’t even try to negotiate a county jail sentence, I won’t accept it. Change your ways or understand my position. Either get it under control or go to prison.”