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Georgia scientist pleads guilty to punching girl on ski slopes (41yr old man punches 14yr girl)
ajc.com ^ | 3-9-11

Posted on 03/09/2011 10:48:36 AM PST by rawhide

A Decatur man accused of punching a 14-year-old girl in the face for running into his son on the slopes in Colorado has pleaded guilty to third-degree assault.

The Vail Daily reported Tuesday that the plea from 41-year-old Scott Filler, a renowned malaria expert, was for a misdemeanor stemming from the December incident at Beaver Creek Ski Resort.

Police reports say Filler thought the teen was skiing carelessly when she bumped into his 4-year-old son. Eagle County sheriff's deputies say that's when he jumped on the girl and hit her with his fist. The girl said she was swerving to avoid another skier.

District Attorney Mark Hurlbert says Filler was sentenced to anger management classes and restitution, the amount of which would be determined by the girl.

Prosecutors also sought community service, but Hurlbert says the judge fined Filler $500 instead.

Three witnesses told deputies they observed Filler punch girl between two and four times.

The ski instructor who pulled the Decatur man off the girl told deputies Filler punched her "at least four times, using a closed fist," sheriff's Lt. Mike McWilliam told the AJC. Two other witnesses said they observed Filler yell at the girl before landing two or three punches, the sheriff's office spokesman said.

Filler, charged with misdemeanor child abuse, told deputies he thought the girl was skiing carelessly and had seriously injured his son. The boy was not hurt, however, and Filler apologized. The girl was treated for minor injuries at a local medical center.

Her father requested charges be filed against Filler, who was banned for life from Vail's six ski resorts.

(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: filler; girl; punch; ski
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To: GOPJ

It’s **rare** to see a black person skiing, so chances are good that the man was white.


361 posted on 03/10/2011 1:30:14 PM PST by wintertime
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To: wintertime

I assumed he was conservative by the coverage - not that he was black. There are black conservatives - and they’re treated the same as white conservatives by the MSM... or worse. (Example: Supreme Court Justice Clarance Thomas...)


362 posted on 03/10/2011 1:40:53 PM PST by GOPJ (http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php - It's only uncivil when someone on the right does it.- Laz)
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To: wintertime
Oh, and I agree the father's actions were outrageous... A strangers hitting a child is called ‘assault’ and it's punishable by law...
363 posted on 03/10/2011 1:50:53 PM PST by GOPJ (http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php - It's only uncivil when someone on the right does it.- Laz)
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To: GOPJ
A strangers hitting a child is called ‘assault’ and it's punishable by law...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I am not an attorney, therefore, I try to avoid statements that involve a judgment about the law.

364 posted on 03/10/2011 1:59:28 PM PST by wintertime
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To: wintertime

This is the court of public opinion - not a court of law... it’s also against the law to rob a person at gunpoint... some of this stuff is common knowledge...


365 posted on 03/10/2011 2:32:15 PM PST by GOPJ (http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php - It's only uncivil when someone on the right does it.- Laz)
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To: GOPJ
Yep! I would agree, that punching a 14 year old girl was likely criminal. As for assault, battery, felony, misdemeanors...etc....well?...Let the lawyers, judges, attorney generals, and LEO battle that one.
366 posted on 03/10/2011 2:39:04 PM PST by wintertime
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To: metmom

I’ll let God judge him.

When I read these reports, I don’t place much veracity in the implied details. IMHO, too much speculation.

Also where I have mentioned possible defense situations, I have witnessed comments by those who have already firmly cast their judgment and wish not to discern.

It strikes me that those accusing the father all have conflicts of interest in the matter and on a ski slope in this situation, their might not be any witnesses for the defendant.

The actions described of the defendant seem consistent with the protective reactions of a father who perceived his son’s safety was at stake.

Neither the ski slope operators nor the prosecutor’s office appear to find any fault whatsoever with the teen, but the teen crashed into the little boy.

If a car crashes into another on the freeway, and the two responsible operators get out and happen to throw a punch, the guy throwing the punch might be charged with assault, but the person who caused the crash isn’t innocent of causing the crash.

I recognize everybody wants to hang the father for holding down the girl, then punching her.

They may want to consider that on a ski slope, a hit and run accident is very common and finding the same person responsible for the crash is likely to be impossible.

Anyway, that’s just how I see it. I don’t find it black and white at all other than all the punitive actions are beeing lumped on a father who appears to have been defending his son, while the person crashing into him is not only not found guilty of anything, but now being allowed to determine part of the punitive action against the father whose son she had initially assaulted, intentionally or not.


367 posted on 03/10/2011 7:43:07 PM PST by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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