I don't think jail time is the answer here. Todd Bertuzzi isn't a criminal. What he did was wrong and he definitely crossed the line, but it was in the context of a game that encourages aggression, physical play and to a certain degree, fighting. It is a fine line that Bertuzzi crossed and he should definitely be held accountable for his actions, but sending him to jail achieves nothing.
This should shed some light on Bertuzzi's sentence.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=108915
Quote:
VANCOUVER (CP) - Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi received a conditional discharge Wednesday after pleading guilty to assault causing bodily harm for attacking Steve Moore in an NHL game.
The sentence - which carries the chance of no criminal record - was the one recommended by the Crown after Bertuzzi agreed to a plea bargain.
"I have concluded that the imposition of a discharge is not contrary to the public interest," said Judge Herb Weitzel.
The sentence also includes a year's probation. During that time, Bertuzzi may not play in any game against Steve Moore, the former Colorado Avalanche player he sucker-punched and left unconscious with two fractured vertebrae and other injuries in a game in March.
That may be moot. Moore is without an NHL contract and still has health issues from the assault.
Bertuzzi must also perform 80 hours of community service. If he complies with his community service and probation requirements, he will not have a criminal record.
In a six-page victim impact statement read in court Wednesday, Moore asked the judge to ensure he and Bertuzzi never share the same ice.
"I have no desire to interact with (Bertuzzi) in any way," Moore, who was not in court, said in the statement.
"If I'm ever able to play again, I would ask that Todd Bertuzzi never be permitted to play in any sporting activity I'm involved in."
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So within a year, if he completes 80 hours of community service and doesn't play against Moore in a game (which wouldn't happen anyway), he gets a clean criminal record. I think that's a little light, but he could still face a civil suit from Moore which could get nasty.