 A congresswoman's son and three Democratic campaign workers were sentenced Wednesday to four to six months in jail for slashing tires outside a Bush-Cheney campaign office on Election Day 2004.
| It's... ummm... lemme check my watch... 2006. |
The men pleaded no contest in January to misdemeanor property damage. A fifth worker was found not guilty. "This case had to be a public example of what can happen when you interfere with voters' rights," said Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Michael Brennan, who rejected prosecutors' recommendation of probation for the four men.
| I'd call a year and a half to get a no contest plea on a misdemeanor charge an indictment of the justice system. But what the hell do I know? When I was a tad, they'd have been hauled in front of the Justice of the Peace the same day by Officer Friendly — if he didn't just give them each a swat on the shinbone with the nightstick, tell them not to do it again, and have them pay to have the tires fixed. |
The state Republican Party had rented more than 100 vehicles to give rides to voters and poll monitors on Nov. 2, 2004. The cars were parked outside a GOP campaign office when the tires were punctured. The vandalism left the drivers scrambling for new vehicles. Among those sentenced Wednesday were Sowande A. Omokunde, the son of U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wisconsin, and Michael Pratt, the son of former acting Milwaukee Mayor Marvin Pratt. "I love my son very much. I'm very proud of him," Moore said. "He's accepted responsibility."
| I don't think I'd be proud of my son for slashing tires. In fact, I think I'd give him a swat with the nightstick. |
Omokunde was sentenced to four months in jail; Pratt and Lewis Caldwell of Milwaukee were sentenced to six months; and Lavelle Mohammad of Milwaukee was sentenced to five months. All were granted work-release privileges. |