Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Cop taped beating Chicago bartender gets probation

CHICAGO (AP) -- An off-duty Chicago police officer convicted of pummeling a female bartender half his size was sentenced Tuesday to two years probation and anger management classes for the videotaped attack that appeared worldwide on the Internet and cable news channels.

Cook County Circuit Judge John Fleming also gave Anthony Abbate a home curfew of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and ordered him to perform 130 hours of community service.

"No one in recent memory ... has done more to tarnish the reputation of the Chicago Police Department than Anthony Abbate," Cook County Assistant State's Attorney LuAnn Snow said Tuesday.

Prosecutors had asked for prison for Abbate - he could have been sentenced to up to five years behind bars - but the judge said he didn't see aggravating factors to justify a prison term.

"If I believed sentencing Anthony Abbate to prison would stop people from getting drunk and hitting people, I'd give him the maximum sentence," Fleming said......

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