“Four former Marion County sheriff’s deputies were sentenced to prison terms Wednesday afternoon for their roles in a violent drug arrest in 2014.
All had previously pleaded guilty in federal court to deprivation of rights under color of law in connection with the Aug. 7, 2014 beating of Derrick Price in a Marion Oaks parking lot. The former deputies, who resigned before pleading guilty in 2015, testified at the trial of their co-defendant, Jesse Terrell, who was acquitted.
Two of the four deputies pleaded guilty on other counts, and thus their sentences were slightly longer.
Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges sentenced them as follows:
• Trevor Fitzgerald: One year and one day in prison and three years of probation.
• James Amidei: One year and one day in prison and three years of probation.
• Adam Crawford: 14 months in prison and three years of probation. He had also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.
• Cody Hoppel: 14 months in prison and three years of probation. He had also pleaded guilty in connection with a separate beating incident that involved Dustin Heathman, who’s currently serving life imprison for shooting at deputies during a standoff in June 2014.
“The judge said there were a number of factor he had to consider when deciding on sentences, the most important of which were acknowledging the seriousness of the offense, promoting respect for the law, and ensuring general deterrence so that this type of behavior does not occur again among law enforcement officials.
The defense noted that Fitzgerald and Amidei did not strike Price; rather, they failed to intervene during the beating and then lied about what happened during the subsequent investigation. A security video that caught the incident on tape shows Fitzgerald sitting on Price’s legs so he could handcuff him — a move consistent with law enforcement training — while Amidei, who arrived during the beating, walked around aimlessly.
Hoppel and Crawford, by contrast, were actively involved in Price’s beating.
At 2:38 p.m., after a comprehensive airing of his observations, thoughts, and the relevant legal points and precedents, Hodges started with Fitzgerald and Amidei and then addressed the other two. As he imposed sentence some people in the audience cried. Crawford hung his head, hands in face.”
Video of beating here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQp0xvi0b8w
The story is here at Ocala.com: http://www.ocala.com/article/20160420/ARTICLES/160429985?p=2&tc=pg
Scumbags got just what they deserved
After the fact they lied and tried to cover it up
