Posted on 04/20/2005 8:12:21 AM PDT by flashbunny
Father Eleazar Perez, who lost his left leg in a hit-and-run accident, walked into court on one leg and crutches Tuesday and pleaded for leniency for the man who ran into him. It was an extraordinary court scene that the judge, prosecutor and defense attorney called unprecedented in their careers for the tragic circumstances, the remorse of the defendant and the unconditional forgiveness and petition for mercy from the victim.
It was also a case filled with irony, said Circuit Court Judge Jeffrey Conen. If Marco Parra-Romero, 19, had stopped after his car struck the priest, instead of running, he would not have been charged with a felony. And he would not be facing deportation back to Mexico.
But Parra-Romero said he fled the scene because he's undocumented and feared deportation. He crossed the border at age 17 to come to the United States to work to send money home to his mother and for the chance at a better life.
"I was afraid," he said in Spanish through a court translator.
After pleading guilty to hit and run causing great bodily harm on the night of Jan. 9, he apologized to the state and the entire community. But most of all he asked for forgiveness from Perez, his family and the community of St. Adalbert Catholic Church on the city's south side. He apologized for fleeing the scene. And he said that when he returns to Mexico, he will do whatever he can to make amends to Perez.
"I came to this country out of need. I never imagined this would happen," he said, his face filled with gloom.
Parra-Romero faced a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
But Assistant District Attorney Thomas Potter and defense attorney Eduardo Borda asked Conen that Parra-Romero be sentenced to the time that he's served since his arrest, which is 99 days in prison.
Conen agreed, and Parra-Romero will be deported. Borda said his client won't fight the deportation. (Because he can just walk right back over the border again)
Conen said that during his eight years as a judge and 13 years as a criminal attorney, "nothing like this case has ever crossed my desk." Potter and Borda agreed.
All sides agreed that this was an accident caused not by recklessness or meanness, but poor winter road conditions.
But the biggest consideration in handing down a sentence was the wishes of the victim, Conen said.
In a prepared letter to the court, Perez expressed his forgiveness. He said he did not want restitution, but leniency.
"In some respects, I have nothing to forgive, as this accident could have happened to anyone," he said in Spanish through a translator. "This experience has helped me practice what I preach and has brought me even closer to God. My journey since the day of the accident has been one of forgiveness and complete surrender. I have surrendered everything up to God's healing power. I have no hard feelings toward Mr. Parra-Romero. On the contrary, I wish him well."
After the hearing, Perez said he was grateful to the judge for the sentence. "I'm convinced the law, in this case, served man," he said. "Maybe he didn't stop to help me (at the time of the accident) but there were others to help me - the paramedics and others who were with me. I was not left to die alone. I had the help that he couldn't give . . . This accident took my leg. But, in a way, it took his life."
for your ping list
Why don't you focus on the wonderful example for all of us of forgiveness and understanding provided by Fr. Perez?
This was a tragedy all the way around, yet Fr. Perez has used this to show us the perfect example of Christ-like forgiveness.
I agree that our borders should be secured, but don't take the lapses of our government out on this poor man. Think of Fr. Perez's words.
Yes, think of the good priest instead of talking about the elephant in the room. Good distraction.
If I were to talk about the priest, I would talk about him using his position for 'forgiveness' that will allow this guy to go free and likely hurt another person sometime soon.
I doubt he was either licensed or insured, but as an illegal alien living in wisconsin, he was elligible for a state-backed home loan program set up just for illegal aliens. Seriously.
Are you a mind reader? I had the same take. We need to imprint an indelible tattoo on these retarded scum. Their choice whether it's on their forehead or cheek
Given the extensive nature of the injuries, I imagine all taxpayers are going to end up victims. My wishes are for a harsher punishment.
Being forgiven does not mean that your conviction is overturned and you can go free.
He would face 15 years I would think. And if he does 'sneak' back in then tough. this has nothing to do with 'open borders'; it has to do with irresponsible youth and stupid state laws that require us to insure our vehicles but not the drivers.
Parra-Romero is just running over the priests that Americans don't want to...
Perhaps because the good priest is (inadvertently) showing contempt for the law, which requires penalties for those who leave the scene of an accident. There is a good reason for such a law: it can save lives.
I admire the priest for his willingness to forgive. However, his personal forgiveness should not override the requirements of the law. Otherwise, someone might die the next time.
I just heard about the illegal home loans program yesterday. Jeff Katz on KNEW was explaining how Illegals can apply for an ID number and instead of using their employment records for their credit history, they can use phone bills and Western Union receipts as evidence of good credit.
Amazing, that's why they are able to build all these hundreds of thousands of homes in California! The Illegals build them and the Illegals buy them with a nice tidy increase in profit in between for the contractors and builders.
Wonder how many of these folks are using fake names/SS#'s anyway? Does IRS cross-check with SS Admin to verify name and number?
In your haste to insult me The intellectual[sic] bankruptcy you show never ceases to amaze you failed to note that my problem with the case is that he should go to jail here and now for 15 years legal or illegal.
I have to pay insurance on four vehicles in Wisconsin at the same rate as in Texas and twice what we pay in Illinois just so these snots can get a license without insurance...legal or not.
" you failed to note that my problem with the case is that he should go to jail here and now for 15 years legal or illegal"
No, the real problem is that he was able to get across our joke of a southern border in the first place. Compounded by the fact that if they are discovered in the country, little is ever done with them.
It all boils down to this 'snot' being allowed to be here in the first place, which wouldn't happen if our government took our border security seriously.
Everything else is just making excuses.
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