UPDATED: Gianforte sentenced to 40 hours of community service for assaulting reporter

[DonViejo]

Last edited Mon Jun 12, 2017, 02:57 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Politico


By RACHAEL BADE 06/12/2017 01:16 PM EDT

Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte was sentenced on Monday to 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of anger management as well as a $385 fine after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge connected to an altercation with a reporter.

The Montana Republican apologized to Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs for assaulting him the night before his election, after initially denying that he “body slammed” him.

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Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/12/gianforte-sentenced-to-40-hours-of-community-service-for-assaulting-reporter-239431

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Judge comforts GOP’s Gianforte: ‘Having to spend any time in jail isn’t something you should do’

BOB BRIGHAM
12 JUN 2017 AT 14:49 ET

BOZEMAN — A surreal scene unfolded in Gallatin County Criminal Court Monday morning as Congressman-elect Greg Gianforte (R-MT) pleaded guilty to assaulting a reporter the night before he was elected.

Judge Rick West initially sentenced Gianforte to four days in jail, but then reversed himself and let Gianforte both avoid jail and be allowed to leave without being booked.

“Being a congressman-elect, having to spend any time in jail isn’t something you should do,” Judge West told a courtroom packed with reporters.

In the end, Gianforte received some community service, $385 in fines and anger management classes for his assault of The Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs.

Following the hearing, Gianforte refused to respond to questions about the false statement his campaign issued following the assault.

more
http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/judge-comforts-gops-gianforte-having-to-spend-any-time-in-jail-isnt-something-you-should-do/

[MrPurple]

1. If this event had been captured on video, his career would be over

[jayfish]

2. Guilty Is Guilty.

...captured by video or not. I guess it's open season on the media now. ...Faux News gnats as included.

[MrPurple]

4. I'm not arguing that, just the exposure from a viral video would have ended him

[slumcamper]

9. Clearly, you speak for the principled.

Facts or alternative facts, and video or not, unfortunately too many conservative voters aren't so principled. And we end up with the likes of tRump (and the list goes on ad nauseum).

[Orrex]

17. That's funny, what you wrote there

Video of a freedom-loving True American GOP Congressman defending himself against a commie Libtard cuck snowflake journalist?

They'd elect him for life!

[MrPurple]

21. Most average people don't know who Gianforte is, video would change that

It would be like the man being dragged off of the United flight. There would be no way to claim that Gianforte was somewhow provoked. The rage on Gianforte's face, the reality of the violence from a public official. If this was a viral video, there would be a lot more national pressure on the Republicans about this and Gianforte would become radioactive.

[Orrex]

22. Most average people aren't in his district, so why should he care what they think?

And unless the GOP were guaranteed to keep the Republican seat occupied by Gianforte, they would feel absolutely no pressure to remove him.

For pity's sake, we have an alleged president committing impeachable offenses daily, and the GOP refuses to act. What makes us think that they'd waste effort on removing an entry-level Congressman?

[angrychair]

24. I disagree

I am completely confident that a republican, especially trump, could butcher a baby on live tv and other republicans would try to make an excuse for it.

They went on for days about Obama chewing gum but trump says, on live TV, that the Constitution isn't really good for America and republicans are completely silent.

Obama plays golf while on vacation and it's a crime, trump has played golf more that Obama did in 8 years as president and republicans are silent.

Democrats work on healthcare legislation for years and "Obama and Democrats forced it down our throats" but republicans push through healthcare without public meetings or through the normal legislative process and it's all good.

The hubris and disrespect republicans show is stunning and very disheartening.

[MrPurple]

31. I agree w/all of that, but was commenting on the power of viral video

A serious body slam by a Congressman would have gotten so many tens of millions of hits and been among the more viewed viral videos of all time. The networks would have played it and babbled about it endlessly because it's good footage.

The Republicans have no shame and a part of their base even likes this. But, if this became a big enough national embarassment, they might have calculated that it did less damage to them to cut ties than to continue with this one Congressman. It would be somewhat like when Anthony Weiner had to resign. He was too much of a drag on the party as a whole to keep around.

I know that the Democrats are more sane than the Republicans with something like this. But, we've seen the massive attention that can be generated when there is video of something like a police shooting vs when there isn't.

[angrychair]

33. 10 years ago I would have agreed

But trump's "when you're a star you can do whatever you want" sexual assault how-to video changed everything.
That video seemed to help Trump become president, you even had republican women walking around in clothing advocating in favor of sexual assault.

I will admit I'm shaded on the darker side in my outlook.

If left unchecked and unchanged, meaning the current status quo, I have extreme confidence that republican45's policies will end in nuclear hellfire or a toxic wasteland and I am content being that madman, laughing like an idiot, as republicans stand around slack-jawed wondering how this could have happened to them and very likely, desperately, trying to come up with a reason it's all Obama's fault, all the way to the very last second, as we are all engulfed in the flames spawned by their hatred and arrogance.

[unblock]

3. i recognize that there are mitigating factors, but the sentence still seems rather light.

first offense (afaik), not serious injury (afaik), and he did cooperate, plead guilty, and i'm guessing made a well-coached remorseful statement at sentencing.

that said, 40 hours of community service -- which, notably, is something most congresscritters seek to do anyway -- is not much of anything. 5 saturdays, big deal.

and a $385 fine? laughable. he might quip something like "can i pay $500 and hit him again?"

[MattP]

5. He did say Jacobs grabbed him at first

Couldn't they have charged him with a false statement?

[dchill]

7. Yes. He is guilty of a lot more.

[unblock]

11. no doubt, but i don't know if he has anything else on his actual "rap sheet"

at least he has something on his rap sheet now....

[MrPurple]

26. Was that statement formally made to the police, or just a lie to the press

I don't know the answer, but would probably only be guilty of something if he lied to the cops.

[angrychair]

34. It's worse than that

The sheriff was a campaign supporter.

In Montana, as in any state I've ever lived in, choking/putting your hands around someone's neck, during an assault, is a felony, not a misdemeanor.

The judge actually said that since he was a member of Congress now, he shouldn't have to go to jail, so he gave him community service.

The whole thing is bullshit!

[forgotmylogin]

25. This could be great though...Imagine...

They make him wear an orange jumpsuit and pick up trash on the side of the road so every news outlet can document it.

Plus Ben Jacobs should get to ride alongside him in a golf cart, "You wanna answer my question now? How about now? Hey, about that question I wanted to ask? ...."

[unblock]

28. i think it's rather more likely they made a deal and he'll be working in a soup kitchen

or something like that -- the sort of thing politicians do anyway to project the image of being such wonderful contributors to their community.

[George II]

6. Did he pay for the glasses, too?

[IronLionZion]

8. Deplorables boast of this openly

Claiming they are so much better and tougher than us that their candidates can use violence on a triggered snowflake and still win election by putting us in our place and showing us who is boss

[kimbutgar]

10. Did you expect anything less?

A pitiful slap on the hand for now setting a standard it's ok to hurt a news reporter. Montana is a sick place in my opinion for voting this cretin in office.

[Aviation Pro]

12. Wonder if he'll have to do trash pickup duty....

...and have a dick supervisor like Jimmy/Saul has in BCS.

[Mr.Bill]

14. They will probably

decide that his work in Congress qualifies as community service. Nothing would surprise me at this point.

[heaven05]

13. being brown skinned

I'm glad I wasn't up on these same charges.....I'd probably get some real jail time for assault and battery this RW P.O.S committed......what a fucking joke....ameriKKKan justice at it's hypocritical best....

[politicat]

15. That 20 hours of anger management therapy isn't nothing.

If we believe that criminal sentencing should be about rehabilitation, then a half-year in therapy is appropriate. (Most anger management therapy is one hour a week for several months.) We can hope that the time in therapy will continue and he will become a better, more empathetic, less entitled person.

Given a guilty plea, misdemeanor charge, and first offense, this is about right. It's not just to give a harsher sentence to someone because they have a public profile, just as it's unjust to give a harsher sentence because someone isn't in the public eye. I hope the judge doesn't allow his hours in congress are public service. He needs to be doing the community service in the community, not as a part of his regular employment duties. (So townhalls don't count, either.) Community service is the penance/restitution portion of the sentence. It's intended as a sacrifice of time and labor.

[bucolic_frolic]

16. Are they all supporting one another?

Because some right wingers will say, 'that's exactly what he was doing, a community service'

[msongs]

18. justice for violent rich white republican political candidates nt

[former9thward]

29. No, its for anyone.

Visit a misdemeanor courtroom sometime. People are not being dragged off in chains despite what you might think.

[niyad]

19. and now he is busy sucking at the public teat.

[beachbum bob]

20. This is not atypical for an assualt charge plea.

What did any one expect 5 years of hard time!

[FairWinds]

23. I too am really angry about the Reich's repeated . .

violence and threats . .

But Gianforte did apologize, and that counts a bit .

On Wednesday, he issued a letter to Jacobs.
"My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful. As both a candidate for Office and a public official, I should be held to a high standard in my interactions with the press and the public. My treatment of you did not meet that standard."
"I made a mistake and humbly ask for your forgiveness," the letter stated.
Jacobs accepted the apology.

[lark]

27. Boo, hiss on the judge and for Gianforte.

He's white, rich, and a Repug, so basically got nothing. Wish it was the judge who was slammed, or one of his family, the sentence wouldn't be so light then I bet.

[Codeine]

32. Misdemeanor assault isn't a huge deal,

penalty-wise. Usually a fine and community service, which is precisely what we've seen here.

[NobodyHere]

30. Seems like an appropriate sentence