Remember when that Rand Paul goon stomped on a MoveOn worker’s head and then demanded an apology? Looks like he’ll be waiting a while for that apology. Like, forever:
A former campaign worker for U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has agreed to serve probation and pay medical expenses in an assault on a liberal activist during the 2010 election.
Assistant Fayette County Attorney Jackie Alexander says 53-year-old Tim Profitt agreed to an Alford plea on Monday. It means he acknowledged that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him in the assault but didn’t admit guilt.
Video showed 23-year-old Lauren Valle being pulled down, her faced pinned to the concrete and then being stepped on. Valle was with the group MoveOn.org. It happened on Oct. 25 in Lexington outside the studio where the Republican Paul and Democrat Jack Conway debated.
Profitt will spend a year on unsupervised probation and agreed to pay $600 to cover Valle’s medical bills.
He got off light.
(via the Benenbot2000)
cathyx
Since when would a medical bill be only $600? You pay that much for just walking in the door.
merl
Has anyone else noticed that they never attack men? right wingers are the biggest cowards on Earth.
Dream On
If I stub my toe, the ER visit would be $1500.
$600? Must be that librul guvment healthcare.
thefncrow
To say he got off light is an understatement. “Unsupervised probation” is essentially just a technical way of saying “Don’t screw up again”. He didn’t even plead guilty to the crime(an Alford plea is essentially just a “no contest” plea), and the only thing it cost him was $600.
Linda Featheringill
He did get off light. I wonder how much he paid in legal fees in order to achieve that slap on the wrist.
IIRC, in the video of the incident it looked like he placed a foot on her neck in order to take aim and was prepared to deliver a forceful stomp that would have broken her neck. Somebody, presumably one of his associates, ran over there and persuaded him to stop. Otherwise, it would have been murder. On video.
agrippa
He did get off light.
KG
one year informal probation? really? you can’t even get that in California… it’s pretty much automatic three years for anything above a traffic ticket.
trollhattan
And vastly worse, Rand Paul won.
What a country!
JGabriel
Too light. The minimum plea deal should have been admitting guilt, plus bills and supervised probation — say a quarterly check-in to remind him that assault is wrong.
I’m not hard-core about the guy getting jail time, but he should have at least had to admit guilt.
.
Fred
Glad she followed through with it. Or that MoveOn stepped in and handled it. Either way glad there were consequences.
Tulip
I always thought a headstomp would be a felony. So much for what I know.
asshole.
Omnes Omnibus
@Fred: Prosecutions are handled by the state. With the video, it probably would not be necessary for there Ms. Valle to take part. MoveOn is not likely to have anything at all to do with this.
beltane
Isn’t it lovely how possessing a joint will get you into serious legal trouble but headstomping a woman is treated like a littering violation. An objective observer might conclude that our legal system has given implicit permission for right-wing thugs to thwart the democratic process and terrorize the opposition.
This must be one of those white privileges the teabaggers are so afraid will be taken away from them.
Captain Haddock
An Alford plea? Unsupervised probation? What a country!
Tonal Crow
A violent criminal gets off on a $600 fine? And meanwhile tens of thousands of people go to prison for years for smoking pot? What’s wrong with this picture?
gex
@merl: Yes. Real men don’t need to denigrate and oppress everyone else around them to feel manly. Conservative men are so insecure about themselves that they have to work to lower the status of everyone else so they can feel just a bit better about themselves.
I wish they’d try therapy instead.
Nutella
@beltane:
Hey, we’ve got standards in this country! Smoking a joint is evil and must be punished by hard time. Subverting the political process by violently assaulting an opponent is a trivial matter best dealt with by tiny cash penalties.
/snark
I would have liked to see a punishment that included branding him a felon so he couldn’t vote any more.
Donna
Tonal Crow:
Spaghetti Lee
What a piece of shit the guy is. Imagine some black teenager dragged a white woman down and stomped on her head. “Unsupervised probation” for him, do you wonder?
Warren Terra
Any word on whether she intends to sue him in civil court?
kdaug
He got off on a NoLo? She should sue his ass off.
ETA: Aaaand, once again I should read through the damn comments before posting redundancies.
quannlace
Amen.
And what exactly was he demanding an “apology” for? Stomping on her head caused him to sprain a tendon?
jl
Will this guy even have an assault record? IANAL, so don’t know.
In other news, a federal judge threw out the attempt to disqualify the judge who struck down CA’s anti gay marriage proposition 8. So, that is good.
Gay judge’s same-sex marriage ruling upheld
Lisa Leff, AP
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110614/ap_on_re_us/us_gay_marriage_trial?bouchon=807,ca
Or… is it? Prop 8 proponents wanted to disqualify the judge who struck down prop because he revealed that he was gay, which they claimed was a conflict of interest.
But the AP story notes that the judge who threw out the challenge was African American, who put some stuff about how the cases logic would harm ability to resolve disputes involving minorities.
But the judge who threw out the challenge to the prop 8 ruling IS a minority. I guess that is a conflict of interest too.
I think the attitude of the reactionaries has become pretty clear: goofy retro tighty whitey male types, so out of it that they have served as laff lines in sit coms for going on 50 years now (from what I have seen of reruns) should run the country. Anything else is communism. (I was going to say ‘straight white serious daddy GOP males’ but that would be an insult to many in that group.)
And BTW, the African American judge who threw out the challenge was appointed by the communist GHW Bush.
You see the pattern there? Probably not, but only because Glenn Beck is no longer permitted by connect the dots for us sheeples on TV.
(note: last half of comment is snark)
El Cid
Those crazy Colombians and their leftist right-wing government over-reacted to some gigantic scandal of their government using secret and illegal wiretaps to go after any opposition to the President, politicians, journalists, businessmen, human rights and civil rights activists, labor organizers, even Supreme Court justices.
Now they’ve gone and passed a law requiring that any wiretap whatsoever must be approved by a judge and that any such operation must be under orders from the command of the agency.
If only Colombia had the sorts of experiences with terrorism that we’ve had to endure, they might not have acted so rashly to rob themselves of a tool they need in their arsenal in case there’s a ticking time bomb scenario.
What’s worse, those radicals refuse to look forward and not back by continuing to investigate the wiretaps even though President and close US ally Alvaro Uribe is out of office. He has consistently denied being involved and is merely unlucky that every single director of their national intelligence agency he appointed has been arrested due to the illegal spying operation. All those agents and contractors who reported orders directly from Uribe’s office have no idea how stuff works, because who knows what one’s direct intermediary does?
The US was very angry that mysterious forces used the electronic surveillance equipment which we gave them to spy on the opponents of Alvaro Uribe even though he had nothing to do with it and all it did was result in things like right wing paramilitaries getting information on where their targets were so they could more quickly kill them.
Those naive Colombians will learn a thing or two if they ever face terrorism in their cities.
Violet
@merl:
So true. They also attack anyone who is different. Another sign of weakness and cowardice and fear.
dlwchico
@KG:
Unless you’re a cop and you shoot an unarmed man who is face down on the ground. Then you get two years which = 366 days.
JGabriel
California Republicans resorting to Demon Eyes again, this time in what may be the most racist and misogynist attack ad ever — featuring two black stereotypes rapping, a white girl’s butt, and simulated fe11atio — against Janice Hahn, running in the special election for Jane Harman’s old seat CA-36.
.
Martin
Looks like Walker won his union busting bill.
kdaug
@merl:
Old story – not stipulating veracity – about how, during WW2, Allied civilians took to kicking Dachshunds they’d see being walked. World War, German dogs, and all that.
Funny thing, though.
They didn’t kick the German Shepherds.
(Well, maybe one guy did, and they took his amputation as an example. Who knows.)
Martin
@JGabriel: In case you may have forgotten, the tea party is mostly Democrats and not at all racist.
Xof
@El Cid: My Snark-O-Meter just shorted out.
And +1.
JGabriel
@Tonal Crow:
NO fine — just $600 of a medical bill that was probably higher.
.
Violet
@Martin:
So depressing. I hope the recalls do something. Not holding my breath, though.
Gustopher
Why is politically motivated violence not treated more harshly than normal?
And does that mean that if someone stomped his head, they would get the same deal?
Tulip
@JGabriel:
Wait, what? I thought The Tea Party was mostly Democrats and not at all racist.
Oops, edited to say hail Martin, me too slow.
Violet
Holy cow! Have you seen this “Willie Horton on steroids” ad in the CA race to fill Rep. Jane Harmon’s seat? Unfreakingbelievable.
chris
@Violet: Damnnnnnnnnnnnnn its on now Negro!! Can u believe that shit??? I was stunned…and I have seen every episode of Dave Chappelle….LOL
Citizen_X
@JGabriel: Holy crap! Hey, the Klan called. They said that ad was over the top!
OTOH, I support these assholes putting their unrestrained ids out on display for all to see.
Violet
@chris:
I know! My jaw literally dropped. I can hardly believe it’s real. Apparently it is.
JGabriel
@Gustopher:
It is … if you’re a Democrat or anywhere to the left to them.
It’s only white Republicans and conservatives who get a free pass to assault people outside of their party.
.
Mnemosyne
@JGabriel:
@Violet:
For the non-Angelenos, it’s even more offensive than you think. The Hahns are a local political dynasty and Kenneth Hahn (Janice’s father) was a huge civil rights supporter. So the ad is basically saying, “Hey, remember what n-lovers the Hahns are?”
I used to live in that district and I don’t think that shit is going to go over well with the Whole Foods crowd that lives there.
WyldPirate
@Tonal Crow:
A bit of hyperbole perhaps, but President Obama appears to be just fine with that sort of penalty disparity.
good thing Obama’s young ass didn’t busted when he was popped when he smoking the Kind Bud…he wouldn’t have got of as easy as Mitch Daniels did at Princeton when he got popped for possession.
Yevgraf
Before everybody here goes utterly spastic, just know that Kentucky has a really high bar to get over for felony assault, and this case wasn’t even close.
Also, we really don’t go for intensive supervision on misdemeanors as a general rule.
stuckinred
@kdaug: Or Dobies.
kdaug
@WyldPirate: A shoebox full, if memory serves?
JGabriel
WyldPirate:
Depends. For getting busted smoking a joint? As a Columbia student? In NYC?
Honestly, most cops would have told him to put it out, and leave it at that. They usually have better things to do in NYC than bust someone over a joint, unless the smoker gives them a hard time.
But for possession of the dealer-level amount Daniels got busted for? Oh yeah, unlike Daniels, he’d have done hard time for that.
.
WyldPirate
@kdaug:
yup. a shoebox full. i think lsd was involved, too, but dont think mitch got stuck w/that charge.
Omnes Omnibus
@JGabriel:
In the 80s? No one got busted at “good” colleges in the 80s for anything to do with drugs unless they were dealing, in large quantities, to people outside the school.
WyldPirate
@JGabriel:
Please. The Rockefeller drug laws in NY were some of the harshest in the nation.
Moreover, most of NY’s drug arrest’s now are stop and frisk arrests of brown people who subsequently get busted for possession.
On top of that, if he was smoking on the reg, and he’s like plenty of kids both present, he quite likely could have flipped a little to defray the costs.
Tulip
You know, just yesterday or maybe the day before a black Republican from Orange County, if I remember correctly, just left the GOP. I can’t remember his name, but I wonder if this would make him actually flip parties all together. Or if somehow he got wind of this ad before he bailed. I wish I could remember his name.
I just cannot understand how someone, anyone could find that ad NOT offensive. WTF is wrong with people.
It will be interesting to see if the rightwing blogosphere will defend or condemn it?
Maybe Brooks can opine about how both sides do it and makes him sad.
maya
As Scalia, Alito, Roberts, Thomas and Kennedy have told you, this is just the exercise of unregulated, commercial free speech as the Constitution intended. Quit whining.
John Weiss
@merl: Misogynists, too. Also assholes.
Joel
@Violet: Holy. Shit. These teabaggers are scum.
Comrade Kevin
@Tulip: You’re probably think of this story from the Sacramento Bee.
WyldPirate
@Omnes Omnibus:
Wrong….
Rockefeller Drug laws
Two totally different situations if one is white or black at those “good colleges”. You think NYPD’s finest would have given a fuck had they popped young Barry with an ozzie split into quarters on him?
ETA: the cannabis portion of the NY drug laws (15-life for a 1/4 lb of weed) was repealed in ’79 before Barry would have got to Columbia.
gelfling545
@kdaug: They just called German Shepherds “Alsatians”. Much safer than kicking.
Evolved Deep Southerner
@Violet: That was underwritten/produced/endorsed by the campaign itself? I mean, I could see some fucking idiot coming up with this on his own, but … damn. Just damn.
Omnes Omnibus
@WyldPirate: Whatever gets you through the night… What makes you think that Obama was ever carrying any amount approaching an ounce on the street? What evidence do you have that he did anything other than smoke a joint or do an occasional bong hit within the confines of the school? Is it because he was the black kid from Hawaii who must have had access to some primo shit and therefore was dealing? Bad form, old bean, bad form.
d. b. cooper
IOKIYAR
wobblybits
@WyldPirate: Really? You had to use the n- word? I’m fed up with people just tossing around that word. It is offensive. STOP IT!
ETA: You can make your point (whatever it is) without resorting to that word.
timb
@WyldPirate: still not banned? One wonders about the standards here
dmbeaster
After he left court, he went hope to his basement Cheetos supply and blogged about government oppression.
Violet
@Evolved Deep Southerner:
No, the TPM article says it’s made/paid for by a brand new PAC that is going to operate as a Super PAC.
Omnes Omnibus
@WyldPirate: Res ipsa loquitur.
lovable liberal
Tim Profitt’s a chickenshit pussy, and we shouldn’t be shy about busting his manhood. Of course, he’s really a prick, but calling him a pussy will hurt him more.
Mnemosyne
@Omnes Omnibus:
It’s so weird how people swear up and down that they don’t have a problem with Obama’s race — no sirree, no problems at all! It’s just his policies we hate! — and yet just can’t stop themselves from obsessing about his race.
Of course, Republicans have taught us that there’s no one more qualified to talk about race than a middle-class white man, so what the heck does Obama know about growing up as a black man in the United States compared to WP’s vast knowledge?
Spaghetti Lee
@WyldPirate:
I’m so disappointed that such a classy and reasonable gent like yourself won’t be supporting Obama in 2012.
moe99
Of course he got off light. It’s Lexington, John.
moe, former resident of Lexington when I was in law school and way happy to be out of there.
Omnes Omnibus
@Mnemosyne: Well, WP has always seemed to have issues.
OzoneR
@WyldPirate: Alright, that’s it, this crossed the line now.
Anne Laurie
@stuckinred: Well, the patriotic British & American Kennel Clubs did drop the too-Germanic ‘Pinscher‘ from the name of of Mr. Dobermann’s breed. The British also started calling German Shepherds “Alsatians”, which has confused clueless Americans ever since.
And my google-fu isn’t working, but there was an incident during the Health Care Wars when some rightwingers worked up the courage to throw things at a middle-aged man… with a severe case of Parkinson’s. Kids (Graham Frost), women, cripples — the Brave Free Men choose their targets with great care.
russell
WTF is “unsupervised probation”? Isn’t that some kind of oxymoron?
ruemara
@WyldPirate:
You know I could ignore the subtle insinuation that Barack (not motherfucking ‘Barry’) Obama probably dealt drugs back in college. Because, you know, what the hell, you pick your battles and that’s something stupid to argue about. But god damn, man. goddamn. And you’re the super liberal with all the moral high ground. Let me tell you something, fucker, Barack Obama sure damn well cares more about blacks than you do. Christ on a crutch, what the hell you think you’re doing I don’t know, but purity progressives, you’re fracturing the Democratic party way more than Obama is when you take this …tactic of being critical.
Midnight Marauder
@wobblybits:
There is no such thing as “the N word.” That phrase is merely a crutch for cowards.
The word is nigger. If it makes you uncomfortable to see it in print, well then, that’s the point of the word.
The only thing using “the N word” does is give you a false sense of distance from the actual history of the word nigger.
wobblybits
@Midnight Marauder: There is such a thing, you may not agree with it or like it (call me a coward, I don’t give a fuck). I’m quite frankly tired of the word being thrown around. Whatever point he was trying to make didn’t necessitate the use of that word.
I don’t need you to lecture me on the history of the word.
Jebediah
@Yevgraf:
Does that mean that if someone pops him in the face or steps on his head or neck, they will get a similar sentence? Or was his sentence light by Kentucky standards?
Midnight Marauder
@wobblybits:
I’m not in the business of lecturing fatigued cowards.
wobblybits
@Midnight Marauder: Hmm that is what you were doing in response to my post, no? Then why comment on my post? Move along and save your breath.
Whiskey Screams from a Guy With No Short-Term Memory
@JGabriel: OK, I gotta say that’s one of the most racist things I’ve ever seen in my life.
Speaking of racist, WyldPirate’s put on quite a little show in this thread. Way to win friends and influence people, my man.
niknik
@JGabriel: Wow. Now I remember why I moved to Germany.
Stay classy, Teatrash*. Stay classy.
*Read as “Tea trash” or “teat rash”, whichever you prefer…
Tonal Crow
@Omnes Omnibus: Oh come on. The whole point is that Obama wouldn’t be President if he had been convicted of drug possession, yet he favors continuing drug prohibition, thereby depriving millions of others of their own shot at the Presidency — or even at a decent middle-class life.
ABL
@WyldPirate: What the fuck. Seriously.
John Cole
And WyldPirate is banned.
I’m seriously sick of the bullshit, people.