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."
I, too, was impressed by Father Eleazar Perez. Obviously a very good man. If other FRiends want to focus exclusively on the illegal immigration issue, it is understandable.
They don't need a SS# They can apply for this ID number that is especially set up for foreign Aliens, but only actually needed by those that are Illegal. So the IRS, INS etc etc KNOW they are ILLEGAL just by their applying for the number. Under this number they can apply for home mortages, car loans.
As far as the actual numbers of them using fake SS#'s, I don't know but it's probably on the internet somewhere. All I know is that my brother selling new autos says their typical new car buyer is an illegal alien. My Real Estate agent says the illegals are the only thing holding up the real estate market in California
They didn't let him off. They sentenced him to time served and deported him.
Maybe the priest is here illegally also.
Southeast Wisconsin and Norther Illinois have thousands of migrant workers, most from Mexico. We've had the same yard man for for 15 years and each winter he goes back to Chihuahua to his wife and family. In 1993 he brought his daughter and son with him (legally) and the daughter remained and went to school in Illinois. We went to her wedding in 1996. These folks work very hard and if they can find a job with those of us who will pay a fair wage they are the most loyal employees you can find.
The Illinois Migrant Council goes out of its way to accomodate the difficulties some migrants face and are supported wholeheartedly by every denomination in town.
None of the landscape or truck farming business in this region could ever survive without migrant labor.
Open borders mean the free transfer of goods and services. This is a new world. You might come to enjoy it.
Of course not! Why don't you refrain from making stupid comments unless you know the case.
So it is really just about money after all. Thank you.
I have no record of your posting history, but I can guess.
" So it is really just about money after all. Thank you."
Jeez, you are really, really pathetic. You people on the 'I need mexican labor' front are as bad as the anti-gun people. You make tangential arguments that have nothing to do with the issue at hand. Ultimately all your efforts result in an attempt to make your opponent look bad by slamming them with false claims because you can't confront the real issue directly.
Seriously, you are intellectually bankrupt when it comes to this issue. Luckily whenver you post it shows to the people on the fence. You and people like dane and ClintonBeGone are our best hope to draw attention to the border issue. It's like watching someone repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot.
Way to go!
It's not wrong to feel compassion for the individual...but the behavior of a class needs to come to a screeching halt. And, although I primarily mean illegal aliens, I am also talking about citizens who enable them. That includes bankers, employers, and politicians.
So you got your very own pet illegal alien from Mexico. Makes you feel real good
LOL
I will probably offend people here, but people who support employing the illegals made me sick.
Reminds me of what slave owners must have been like, all puffed up with power over people they can totally control because they have no rights.
That is only true if the laws against illegal immigration are enforced. These laws ARE NOT being enforced. If they were, we wouldn't be having problems like this.
Hit and run accidents are epidemic in Mexifornia, illegal alien heaven.
Quite legal.
Shame you don't really have a clue about the amount of legal migrant labor that exists in this country. One assumes you just make it all up.
I was just in Northern Illinois a couple of days ago and saw Z-E-R-O folk such as you refer to.
What city/burg are you referring to???
Nice re-direction, but you're the one that brought up "money" in post #25...
flashbunny pointed out the "illegal" theft of goods and services...you can't have "transfer" of goods and services without exhange...using social services without paying for them is theft...and it has closed several hospitals and drove health care costs up for everyone...
You seem to be a socialist but you make a very poor one. For socialism to work, everyone has to provide something...in your version of socialism some provide while others reap...just as long as you get your yard work done...
After all this time you still haven't posted what your solution to the issue of illegal immigration would be...
Are you satisfied with status quo and allowing United States laws to be violated just so you can reap from the inexpensive labor of illegal immigrants ?
Would your costs be any different if the labor was performed by legal immigrants ?
1. Do you have any idea how offensive that is? What exactly were you looking for? Some sign or uniform? Skin color? Look up the Illinois Migrant Council. There are many locals in every county from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi.
Are you always this rude?
Clearly economics is not your field. Nor is truth in editorializing.
Naaaaa.....I can be even nicer.
Don't mess with me, harrowup. I grew up in those areas that you're talking about. And, since we're on an illegal immigration thread, one would assume, wouldn't one that we're discussing people from Mexico?
Back to the original question....what burg/city are you referring to? Because you see, after a bit of my own investigating, if I'm wrong, I am "man" enough to say I'm wrong.
Will you be?
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