Tuesday, June 23, 2009
News / Chicagoland Was justice done to Anthony Abbate?
Posted by Whet Moser on Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 2:50 PM
By now, if you're at a computer, you're probably aware that Anthony Abbate was just sentenced to two years' probation, on one count of aggravated battery, for the videotaped beating of bartender Karolina Obrycka.
This is burning up Twitter right now, and I suspect, perhaps rightfully, that there will be tremendous outrage.
But is it that unusual to decidedly not throw the book at someone convicted of aggravated battery? Perhaps not. I'm hardly an expert, but a quick tour of the news makes me think the sentence was not unusual (which is different, obviously, from saying it was just).
Update: Joe the Cop: "he's exactly the kind of person who gets exactly this kind of sentence every single day, in every single courtroom, in Cook County."
* Here's a prominent and videotaped example: you probably remember William Ligue, who beat umpire Tom Gamboa during a White Sox game, to the point where Gamboa suffered hearing loss. Ligue got 30 months for two counts of aggravated battery.
* The Bloomington Pantagraph, 7/9/08, emphasis mine:
"Three men sentenced Wednesday to probation and a dozen weekends in jail for the severe beating of an Illinois State University lacrosse player should consider themselves fortunate, a judge told the men during the sentencing hearing for aggravated battery.
"'This could have been a murder case but for the fact your victim was pretty durable,' Judge Charles Reynard told Matthew Walker and brothers Casey Lomoro and Corey Lomoro, all of Highland Park."
* The Smoking Gun: "Sultaana Freeman (formerly Sandra Keller) was arrested in Decatur, Illinois for battering a foster child [Ed. note: !]. Freeman, 35, pleaded guilty in 1999 to felony aggravated battery and was sentenced to 18 months probation."
* IL v. Karl Prevo, in which the defendant beat the victim so that he "sustained multiple facial and sinus fractures and a concussion"; Prevo got 30 months probation.
* From the Peoria Journal-Star's felony dispositions, 4/28/09: "Travis D. Sutton, 22, 528 Catherine St., Pekin; convicted of two counts of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm; sentenced Jan. 12 to concurrent terms of 63 days in jail and 2 1/2 years of probation; two counts of aggravated battery in a public place were dismissed."
* From the Peoria Journal-Star, 2/17/09:
"Shawn J. Crew, 26, whose address was listed as 207 E. Spring St., Princeville; convicted of aggravated battery; sentenced Feb. 6 to two years in prison, $1.079 restitution and $312.70 court costs."
"Tarah M. Rittenhouse, 26, of Moline; convicted of aggravated battery; sentenced Feb. 6 to two years of probation, 90 days in jail, drug abuse treatment and $624 court costs."
You can find cases of aggravated battery resulting in substantial jail time and in probation, if you poke around. And without knowing the details of the crimes, the judge, and so on, there's an element of comparing apples to oranges.
I assume that most people, like myself, will think Abbate got off easy - but I'm not yet ready to think it has anything to do with his profession, or anything necessarily outside the typical machinations of the justice system.
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Excellent job to bring reason to an otherwise highly-charged story. Thanks for the insight.
I'm sorry but the fact that the bloated pig is (hopefully not for long) a police officer show warrant a stiffer sentence. Hopefully the bartender will bring a civil case against that thug.
Cops are different than rest of us. The sentencing for harming a cop is a lot greater than that of normal citizens. Hence, wouldn't it make more sense to dish out more punishment when cops break the law as well? Not that will ever happen, of course.
I agree with C.A.D (cops are different) because if I smack the horsesh*it of out a police dog, or the dogsh*t out of a police horse, it is my understanding that I can be charged with assualt to a peace officer. Huh? I'll let the animal rights advocates chew on that one, but still......huh? Anyway, if abbate had been sentenced to actual jail time, he would have probably been placed in protective custody of some sort. Or at least received some sort of favoritism from the guards. Which would have been a single-finger slap in the face, as it would not have been observed by the people. Not to be confused with the traditional five-fingered slap-o-rama that is usually delivered to chicago's finest when they are caught red handed committing one of the many crimes they hunt others for. In short- woman beating is okay according to this judge. yep.
It's funny how liberals start getting very interested in the idea of punitive, retributive justice when the criminal is a cop. Just saying.
The Chicago Chapter of the National Organization for Women does NOT accept this sentence. If you would like to get involved with Chicago NOW and make sure that Anthony Abbate is fired, please visit http://chicagonow.wordpress.com/
I find it hard to believe that anyone would defend this guy, even if he is a cop. Remember he was off duty so he was just like you and me - right. I am disgusted. These aren't just liberals that thibk this was wrong.
ISTR that his partner went out front during the beating to turn away the squad cars answering the 911 call. What's his sentence?
Cops are (or should be) a different issue that the rest of these mopes in that they ARE the law. They are TAUGHT the law as part of their jobs. As I understand it a cop is never really "off duty". What, if he sees a bank being robbed or someone being raped he's permitted to turn his back. He's ALWAYS a cop as long as he's on the force. This pantload should not get the same consideration as the other cases you cited.
If I may nitpick: William Ligue beat up Tom Gamboa, who was a first base coach for the Kansas City Royals. It was the first of numerous incidents with Sox fans charging the field against the Royals. PS: Go Royals.
All I'm saying is that when a cop breaks the law, a lot of people who might normally have a little perspective on criminal justice want to see their indignation and outrage translated into punitive sentencing. I feel the same way, incidentally. But I think even for cops it's important to consider proportionality, the benefit to society, and so on. Maybe this sentence falls short--it certainly doesn't look like justice to me. But Whet's right to bring in some perspective.
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