Slap-On-The-Wrist Sentence Belittles Police Officer's Life
It's not often one can point to a court ruling, and call it a
true travesty of justice.  Such a decision was made Monday in
Phoenix, however, during the sentencing of 39-year-old David
Ballentine, the man who caused the death of Phoenix Police
Officer Geolet Beuf.  Beuf stopped Ballentine and his girlfriend
in November 1999 to ask them about the suspicious pickup truck
they were driving. Ballentine took off running. Beuf tackled
Ballentine and they rolled into the street, where a 41-ton semi
ran over them. Beuf was killed instantly.  After 18 months of
legal wrangling, Balletine's attorneys were able to swing a
deal, where their defendant would plead guilty to negligent
homicide for a lighter sentence. Ballentine was sentenced to 3
years 9 months in prison, but with credit for time served, he'll
only serve two years in jail for recklessly causing Beuf's
death.  Turns out, even though Beuf had only been on the Phoenix
police force for about a year an