Posted on 04/05/2007 2:43:06 PM PDT by Kimmers
Jurors convicted an 81-year-old woman of felony battery Wednesday for hitting a police officer with her cane.
Betty Chambers showed no reaction when the guilty verdict was announced, but outside the courtroom she used a newspaper to hide her face from cameras. "I'm sick of seeing my picture on TV! I've done nothing wrong!" she said.
The verdict came one day after a judge dropped a charge of resisting law enforcement against Chambers, who claimed she acted in self-defense.
Chambers could face six months to three years in prison when she is sentenced May 15 in St. Joseph Superior Court.
Chambers also is being sued by two officers who say they were injured when they went to her home south of South Bend to check on her welfare in February 2005.
When Cpl. Lonny Foresman and Detective Sgt. John Pavlekovich arrived, the woman's caretaker, Thomas Holleman, now 58, became argumentative and told them to leave, according to a police report.
Pavlekovich reported that Holleman resisted arrest and that Chambers began striking Foresman in the neck and head with her wooden cane. Foresman was diagnosed with a mild concussion, while Pavlekovich separated his shoulder while wrestling Holleman to the ground to handcuff him, the lawsuit contends.
The judge listened to testimony from both officers Tuesday and ruled that evidence showed Chambers did not directly struggle with Pavlekovich or injure him.
The battery charge involved Foresman's injury.
"I felt a bump on my head," Foresman testified. "I shook it off at first because I didn't know what it was. It was just a knock."
But then he felt a second and a third blow.
"That's when I was stunned," he said. "I knew I was hurting at that time."
Chambers, who is 5 feet tall and 100 pounds, testified that she acted out of self defense and feared Holleman would be killed.
"I have to protect my interests," Chambers said of Holleman. "If he's gone, I'm gone."
Holleman served 40 days in jail for the incident.
It is NOT what you think. Get your mind out of the gutter.
Tsk tsk tsk
“Am I in?”
In deep do do, methinks!
It’s Chena’s fault probably.
Sort of a deathly blue color. Except when I'm mad. Then they're purple, like my hat. Maybe I should just go with the purple. I'll change my screenname to Miss Plum.
Whoops. I forgot protocol. I meant to ping you to one of these past posts of mine.
You’re a pig latin expert! I give you an A+!
“It’s Chena’s fault probably”
” Don’t be shilly, chena....you’re taking the fall!”
H Bogart
Purple hair! !!!!!!
LOL!!!!!
OK. I’ll do the soft blue. You can do the purple. Let’s get (snicker) Mrs. Nooseman to do....sheesh, I’m not sure what color!
A moss green? It’s so spring-y.
Ya teezer!
Oh. My. Gosh. Did you KNOW Mr. Bogart???
Is THAT where I left it? I’ve been lookin’ for that sucker all day.
Ha!
Hold on. There’s men at the window again....BRB.
“Oh. My. Gosh. Did you KNOW Mr. Bogart???”
I’m 53 m’lady, not 103 : )
I just truly laughed OUT LOUD at that, and I think I woke my hubby. shhhhhhhhh, ok....he’s still sleeping....
Ya young whipper snapper.
I threw some Windex outside, just thought you’d like to know in case you get complaints.
When Gramps has one of those nights of tossing and turning I find that a cast iron skillet is oh-so-handy!
She didn't cause a concussion. Or even a bruise. Not comparable.
Cynthia McKinney is out of Congress. I went to my polling place ready to vote against her, and only then learned that I'd been redistricted into John Lewis' district.
“I just truly laughed OUT LOUD at that, and I think I woke my hubby. shhhhhhhhh, ok....he’s still sleeping....”
ahem.............not anymore.
Yea, she’s been blaming me for EVERYTHING! She gets me confused with the President. Must be because I type with a western drawl.
“I threw some Windex outside, just thought you’d like to know in case you get complaints.”
I will have my staff do the windows on your fleet of cars : )
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