Cop beating trial has shades of Elgin

Interesting thing, this whole "justice" stuff.

It's supposed to be blind.

After some recent court decisions, one could argue that it is deaf and dumb as well.

Take the case of the 250-pound Chicago cop captured on videotape pummeling that petite bartender in February 2007.

Anthony Abbate got two years probation and community service when he could have received up to five years in prison.

The judge said a prison sentence would not deter others from committing the same crimes.

How about punishing the actual offender?

What sentence would a person like you or me get if the positions were reversed?

Most of it can't be printed here, but jail garb and steel bars would probably be part of your daily routine for a while.

Abbate's case reminds me of a not-so-shining moment in Elgin's recent history.

Like the Jan. 1, 2008 beating administered by former Elgin officer Chris Darr upon a handcuffed suspect in the back of a police squad car.

Darr, who was off-duty at the time, responded to a hotel brawl in which his father, a retired Elgin deputy chief serving as a security guard, was injured.

Darr resigned from the force in June 2008.

He was convicted of misdemeanor battery a month later and given two years probation.

The city settled a lawsuit for $225,000 filed by the victim and the charges against him from the hotel fracas were eventually dropped.

Aren't police officers supposed to be held to a higher standard?

They're supposed to be enforcing the law, not breaking it.

I am in no way, shape or form condoning or encouraging violence against police officers. An overwhelming majority of them are good and honorable police officers who do their duty.

But if there is a separate - and more severe - set of laws for crimes committed against peace officers, there should be special set of laws for crimes committed by police officers.

Seems to me that would help those little justice scales to balance.

I wonder what will happen to the North Chicago cop accused of pistol whipping the Waukegan police chief?

Here were have alleged cop-on-cop violence.

Hmmm, what to do?

Meanwhile, a 40-year-old man who pleaded no contest to charges he stole seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong's time trial bike and two other bikes got a three-year prison sentence.

A year for each bike, but probation for being a bully with a badge and a gun.

So the next time you see a blindfolded Lady Justice holding scales, think of it as a nice little statue.

Maybe a piece of art if you will.

Because life does not imitate art in this case.