No prison for Idaho men convicted of hate crime

[IDemo]

- The Associated Press
Published: 03/29/11

COEUR d'Alene, Idaho — Brothers convicted of a hate crime in northern Idaho apparently won't serve any time in prison.

First District Court Judge John Luster on Monday sentenced 50-year-old William Tankovich Jr. and 47-year-old Frank Tankovich to two years of supervised probation.

Luster suspended a five-year sentence, saying he wasn't comfortable with prison sentences for their actions.

The Tankoviches were convicted Oct. 28 of malicious harassment and conspiracy to commit malicious harassment following an altercation on Aug. 16 outside the Coeur d'Alene home of Kenneth Requena.

The judge ordered the brothers not to use of alcohol or drugs, 300 hours of community service and to have no contact with Requena and his wife.

Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/03/29/1584351/no-prison-for-idaho-men-convicted.html#ixzz1I0JU7i6b

[Angry Dragon]

1. Color of skin and religion had nothing to do with this sentence

[rfranklin]

2. You forgot the SARCASM thingie...

like this :sarcasm:

[atreides1]

3. Isn't this judicial activism?

The judge wasn't comfortable? I wonder how comfortable he'll feel if these two knuckle draggers violate their "probation", and go after this man and his wife...and maybe committing a more serious crime against them.

This is why judges and DA's should not be immune from the stupid decisions they make!

[Zanzoobar]

4. The judge ordered the brothers not to use of alcohol or drugs

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/sirens/tags/kootenai-county-district-court/

Take a look at them mugs. Of course he's not comfortable sentencing them to jail. He'd be on the hook for reprisals.

They'll violate and be locked up. The judge is probably certain of it and he will be off the hook. The other part of the system will have gotten them.

Maybe self preservation was on his mind. It's a form of corruption, but in this case maybe prudent.

My take, anyways.