Woman who coughed on cancer patient begs judge for leniency: 'This has cost my family dearly'

[634-5789]

A Florida woman who pled guilty to misdemeanor assault after she was caught on video deliberately coughing on a cancer patient in a Jacksonville store last year, asked a judge to consider the backlash she’s received after the incident went viral, First Coast News reports.

Debra Hunter said her children “continue to suffer indignities caused by my mistake […] embarrassed, chastised and mocked by both their peers as well as adults. Each of my three children have lost nearly every friend they had.”

In a letter to Duval County Judge Ruth, Hunter said she was not seeking “mercy” but instead wanted him to understand what led up to the incident and the intensity of the backlash she and her family endured.

Hunter said that stressful life circumstances caused her to act out, and that her family is enduring intense backlash as a result.

The viral video captured Debra Hunter deliberately coughing on a fellow shopper at the Town Center mall in anger. Hunter was not wearing a mask; the woman she coughed on was a cancer patient.

Hunter was subsequently charged with misdemeanor assault. She faces up to 60 days in jail, and County Judge James Ruth appears inclined to sentence her to at least some jail time, having rejected prior settlement deals for probation only.

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/crime/pier-1-cougher-debra-hunter-tells-judge-family-suffering-after-viral-video-attack/77-53994fbe-c2b9-406a-9a37-e88a68a1871b

[Lochloosa]

1. White trash. Just a mean women. Throw the book at her.

[Sugarmaggie]

2. Jail is not the answer

you need 60 days of humility serving on a cancer ward.

[Celerity]

5. Both

[usaf-vet]

27. Not yet! After jail and a couple of weeks on a cancer ward. Then she needs 2 weeks with hospice....

.... services.

As a recent cancer patient myself, I have no sympathy for her. She somehow needs to understand the daily fear any cancer patient feels. The fear that cancer might come back and the weakened immune system might not be able to fight off a recurrence of cancer.

I have a sister who had cancer 10 years ago. But with every new ache or pain, the first thought is cancer!

[Vinca]

12. I don't know. If I were a patient on a cancer ward I wouldn't want such a hateful person

around. You need good vibes to heal, not the kind emanating from this sorry excuse for a person. Send her to jail and I don't mean the nice country club jail. I mean the big house.

[Fritz Walter]

31. Agreed!

The hospital staff have endured enough already without having this mean, callous, heartless woman taking up space and time that could be better utilized.

Now, maybe assigning her to morgue detail -- without any hospital-issued PPE, (since it was OK for her to go maskless at a large mall). I might be able to support that sentence.

[Horse with no Name]

53. I wouldn't want this garbage human around my loved one

It’s obvious she doesn’t believe in science and her lifestyle could put the lives of these cancer patients in jeopardy.
Jail is the perfect place for her.

[AverageOldGuy]

3. She should have listened . . . .

[FreepFryer]

4. Do your 60 days, say you understand what a total fucker you were. That's how forgiveness starts (nt)

[OhioChick]

6. This trash needs to work in an ICU.....

Let's see if she'll wear a mask then.

These people just piss me right off, if it's not obvious.

[DFW]

7. If only she had changed one word

NOT "this has cost my family dearly," but rather "I have cost my family dearly."

What she did to both the cancer patient and her children cannot be forgiven. It was a gesture of deep, intense meanness, and an example must (or at least should) be made. It is indeed cruel and unjust that her children be exposed to indignity due to her actions, but it is a cruelty to them that she alone has brought upon them. If ordered to perform "community service," I can just imagine her doing it while making nasty comments about libbruls and soshalists the whole time to people she is supposed to be helping. On the other hand, a month or two in jail would be a demonstration that society considers what she did to be a true OFFENSE, and that no act of contrition can be considered sufficient recompense.

[uponit7771]

10. +1

[Haggard Celine]

13. Agreed.

She risked the life of another person, just so she could own the libs. She definitely needs jail time. Jail will teach her better than anything else about how to remain free.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

14. +2

[PatSeg]

18. That's a good point

Omitting the word "I" sounds like she really does not regret what she did, but that she regrets the consequences she has suffered. Judges have heard pretty much every sob story imaginable, so I'm sure using one's children for sympathy probably isn't very persuasive. If anything, it might even work against her.

I'm not a big fan of throwing people in jail. Our country's incarceration rate is shameful, but some kind of really meaningful community service and perhaps required anger management classes. Our judicial system should be more civilized and constructive than her vile behavior.

[Escurumbele]

26. Excellent post

100% correct. Just the fact that she is treating this as if "it happened to her" and that she didn't cause is a flag for the judge to understand that she needs to pay for her actions, also give a signal to all other haters that behaviour like that will be punished. Well done.

[2naSalit]

29. +1

[Lucinda]

48. +1

[SergeStorms]

8. No leniency.

It's the only way people like this learn anything. If you show leniency and give them a slap on the wrist, they'll continue to exhibit their bad behavior.
She needs to be taught a lesson. The woman who has cancer doesn't get leniency, and neither should the "mad cougher".

[samnsara]

9. since it was her actions that ultimately endangered her kids.. they should be taken away

..until she is a better mom.

[Layzeebeaver]

11. You choose an action, you must accept the reaction

Her line of ill-logic is bullshit.

And her family can already choose to distance themselves, and try and retain their relationships with others based on reality and sympathy to fellow citizens.

She needs her 60 days in jail. Then she needs to work in a Covid ward and a cancer ward for another 60 days.

The "Oh the impact of this on my family/friends is terrible and therefore let me go" argument is laughable and not entertaining at all.

Jail - Service - Fines... All of it please.

[Grokenstein]

15. "Mistake."

Naw, assbag, a "mistake" is when you add up some numbers wrong or run outside with mismatched socks.

You were "having a bad day" so you made a huge scene of endangering someone else's life and then did the "come at me, bro" dance for the camera. That's not a "mistake." You were not being "over protective" of your children, whom you are currently trying to use as a shield-slash-get-out-of-responsibility-card.

True, they shouldn't have to pay for your idiocy. But neither should anyone else. Maybe you should have considered that.

[2naSalit]

30. +1

[GoCubsGo]

16. Bed. Made. Lie.

I feel bad for her kids. Her, not so much.

[demtenjeep]

17. play stupid games

suffer the consequences

[samplegirl]

19. It wasn't a mistake it was

A blatant act of hatefulness. Throw the book at her!

[catbyte]

20. Give me a goddamned break. EVERYBODY has gone through "stressful life circumstances" this past year

and most of us didn't act like assholes.



On edit:

Man, she was laying it on thick to the court. This passage is especially moving:

Until that day, Hunter said, her house was a gathering place for neighborhood children. But "that semi idyllic life came to a screeching halt. [...] We no longer take family bike rides around the neighborhood. We no longer wave at neighbors passing by."

So, which one was it? Was your life was "semi-idyllic" or "extremely stressful?"

[EYESORE 9001]

24. It's moving alright

Fills me with the urge to defecate,

[tanyev]

33. I don't think 'semi idyllic' is the correct term for what she's trying to convey.

Unless she secretly hated having the neighborhood children gather at her house.

[rainin]

37. Good catch. It doesn't sound like she was too stressed!

While 1/2 of us were acknowledging the real threat of a deadly virus and changing our lives to protect ourselves and others, apparently, her house was business as usual. 'until that day' children gathered. hummm. We'd stopped our 'gathering' months earlier because we don't want to kill people. What exactly is she claiming she was so stressed about that day?

[RVN VET71]

21. Justice will be served with jail time.

How much, though, depends on what she knew when she attacked the woman. Was she aware, for instance, that the woman was a cancer patient? If so, then 60 days is too mild.

If she was not aware that the woman she attacked was a cancer patient the media should mention that up-front because it bears directly on the severity of her crime. By not mentioning it, the media fails in its job of informing the public.

Also, had she, herself, been tested for covid-19 prior to the crime? If she knew that she was not carrying a deadly virus, of course, that would be an ameliorating factor. If she hadn’t been tested, she couldn’t know if she had the disease or not. That would be an incriminating factor. (Of course if she tested positive, and knew she carried the disease, the misdemeanor charge should be raised to felony level, but I doubt that was the case.)

Regardless, at the very least Mrs. Hunter needs to cool her heels in the jusgao for 30 days followed by community service picking up trash along some well traveled highway. And she has to admit to herself that it is, indeed, tragic what she has done to her family -- all because of a mask!

[randr]

22. Civic duty is apt punishment for all these Karens

They should be on bed pan detail in a Covid ward.

[spinbaby]

56. Please don't insult Karens

Some of us are really nice people.

[LiberalFighter]

23. I have no sympathy for her.

[NurseJackie]

25. Put her in the kitchen with Red and Nikki and Gloria.

Her "I found Jesus" nonsense is just a ploy... a cynical gimmick... I don't believe her for one second. She is who she is and people like that will never change. She's just squirming and saying ANYTHING she can to get out of being held responsible for her own intentional actions.

[Sprite]

28. Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

Actions have consequences.

[marble falls]

32. She still doesn't get it.

[rainin]

34. It's amazing these people don't actually know how to language a sincere apology

I deliberately taught my kids the language of an apology when they were little and reinforced it their entire childhood. They can hear when someone is taking responsibility, when someone is truly remorseful, because they learned it. This woman, and her friend, reveal so much in their words. It's all about her. She still doesn't see her actions from someone else's point of view. She hasn't considered the consequences of her actions on the victim, only the consequences on her family and herself. To the victim, this woman's 'apology' is hurtful all over again. Hopefully, the judge can see she hasn't truly reflected on the consequences of her actions on the VICTIM.

Note: I also agree with an earlier commenter that one can't take responsibility for an action by saying 'this has caused... ' She has to be ready to say 'I caused harm to another person.' I might even go further to say that she doesn't have a right to complain publicly about the consequences of your depraved actions. Perhaps she needs to confess that she knew she was being filmed but she thought everyone would agree with her, so she wasn't afraid to be angry in public.

[niyad]

35. Such inconsistencies in that letter. Fatal boat accident. House fire that cost everything. Nearly

Idyllic life with house as gathering center. .the same house that just burned? And not one bit of concern for the victim of her uncontrolled rage. As for the character witness, how the f'n hell would she know that the video was highly edited?

Another "party of personal responsibility" who takes no responsibility. Full sixty days in jail, community service that does not involve contact with others, and mandated anger management classes.

A note to this idiot. . We all have bad days,mstressful times. This last year has been horrific for most of us. But we don't go around attacking strangers because of ungovernable tempers.

[3825-87867]

36. Community Service? Nope!

We need a "Hester Prynne" law. In lieu of community service for this type of transgression or instead of an ankle bracelet, how about a large necklace with a big red "C" or some such other indicator hanging around the neck to be worn by the "criminal (for that's what they are) in any and all public places for a determined period of time?

Cruel and unusual? Maybe unusual but not as cruel as denying the civil rights, lively hood or possibly life of the "victim." You want this to stop? Embarrassment and everyone knowing this type of penalty is mandatory might be a better deterrent than jail time or community service for this type of person. Plus it would save money and ease the minds of those already legally working in community who may have to work with some person such as her. Would you want to work around someone like her? Or have your children, many of whom who selflessly volunteer for many community services, work with someone like that?

Actions have consequences - for the person committing the crime and/or their family. Others shouldn't suffer because of the thoughtlessness of some. But sadly, most of these types don't think of anyone but themselves or worry about what might happen to others they care for.

[csziggy]

61. Make her go out and pick up trash along roads

They do that around here for minor offenses. Instead of going to jail, they are put on a gang wearing safety vests with "PRISONER" or some designation and they have to clear the roadsides of trash.

That is very demeaning when people they know drive by and it serves a good community services of cleaning the road. I bet since her type are often the ones throwing out the trash, she could learn to be better about what she does with her garbage.

[Paladin]

38. Tough shit. Deal with it. (nt)

[marie999]

39. Our daughter has stage 4 lung cancer. If this woman coughed on her I would have shot her.

[Scalded Nun]

40. Mistake? I don't think so

A mean and criminal act perpetuated on someone yo thought was weaker/below you. All that hate that bubbled up during the presidency of a festering boil led you to think you could act out your hate with impunity.

Well, it appears you can't, so now you are throwing your family in front of the court to evade your accountability.

Jail and community service. If the person coughed upon contracted Covid that should also be assault with intent to cause bodily harm at least, with charges increasing commensurate with the victims condition.

[greenjar_01]

41. These people are super pro-prosecution in almost every case, and never give a second thought

to the families of people they want sent to jail. But in their own cases, oh, their children don't deserve this!

Yes, asshole, jail is terrible for everybody.

[elias7]

42. She's lucky she didn't get charged for attempted murder

My goodness, a cancer patient is immunocompromised and therefore may be susceptible to the worst of what the microbial world has to offer. If that Florida woman had Covid and forced it upon any immunocompromised, elderly person or anyone else who is at high risk of dying of Covid, that would seem more than just misdemeanor assault to me. In an active pandemic, everyone should be assumed to have Covid until proven otherwise. And that is assault with a deadly weapon.

[oasis]

43. Sixty days in jail. Just enough time to begin to think about consequences.

[jcgoldie]

44. Uhm ... that's not what "mistake" means...

[dalton99a]

45. "I don't want consequences"

Give her a prison sentence

[Silent3]

46. Unless her children did the same thing, or defended their mother for this...

...it is very unfair that people are taking their otherwise justifiable anger out on this idiot's children.

"Florida woman" herself... fuck her.

[Volaris]

47. Please judge, wont you think of the children?

No, because it's not my job to do your parenting FOR YOU after the fact. Personal Responsibility, and all that.

30 days in a county pod should be enough of an object lesson.
3000 dollar fine, and you're on probation till the fines paid.

Not insurmountable, but will take some personal effort to make happen. Seems fair.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

49. Lock this idiot up

[BannonsLiver]

50. If she's that worried about the shame there's always seppuku

[Wingus Dingus]

51. She didn't make a "mistake". She's a mean antisocial piece of shit.

I hope her life is ruined forever.

[Midnight Writer]

52. So...she was having a bad day?

[Ilsa]

54. Yes, her family has paid a price, but has she?

Somehow, I doubt she had many friends to lose. I hope she does a month, at least.

[ironflange]

55. Suck it up, Princess

[ecstatic]

58. Nope. Lock her up.

She didn't offer leniency to the cancer patient. Enjoy jail, where masks aren't required!

[Skittles]

59. she is right about her kids but.......

using them to try to get some leniency is also kinda.....disturbing

[electric_blue68]

60. Actions - CONSEQUENCES!!!