This is a helluva story! It's not the court case that is important here, but the fact that the court room was FULL of Marines from all walks of life who had come to the trial since the Marine, Sgt. Michael McNulty, could not be present due to his new tour in Iraq.
For those new to the case, the defendant in this case, the spineless anti-war divorce attorney, Jay Grodner, keyed a Marine's car (McNulty's) in anger because the car had military plates and a Marine insignia.
So anyway, the verdict is in and Grodner was found guilty and pays a $600 fine and does community service but you simply HAVE to read the full account of the trial. The link to the full story from the Chicago Tribune is here.
For those new to the case, the defendant in this case, the spineless anti-war divorce attorney, Jay Grodner, keyed a Marine's car (McNulty's) in anger because the car had military plates and a Marine insignia.
So anyway, the verdict is in and Grodner was found guilty and pays a $600 fine and does community service but you simply HAVE to read the full account of the trial. The link to the full story from the Chicago Tribune is here.
Man who keyed car gets day in court; so do Marines
January 20, 2008
Grodner pleaded guilty in a Chicago courtroom packed with former Marines. Some had Marine pins on their coats, or baseball jackets with the Marine insignia. They didn't yellor call him names. They came to support Marine Sgt. Michael McNulty, whose car Grodner defaced in December, but who couldn't attend because he's preparing for his second tour in Iraq.Grodner was late to court for the second time in the case. Grodner called Assistant State's Attorney Patrick Kelly, (Marine Corps/Vietnam 1969-1972), informing Kelly that he would be late to court.
"He wanted to avoid the media," Kelly said Friday. "So he's coming a half hour late.""I don't run my courtroom that way!" responded Judge William O'Malley, ordering Grodner be arrested and held on $20,000 bail when he arrived. Finally, Grodner strolled in. A short man, wide, wearing a black fedora, dark glasses, a divorce lawyer dressed like some tough guy in the movies.Grodner told me he'd describe himself as a "radical liberal" who's ready to leave Chicago now with all this negative publicity and move to the south of France and do some traveling.Judge O'Malley has also traveled, but in his youth. He was a police officer on the West Side during the riots before law school. And before that, he performed another public service. Judge O'Malley served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1961-1964.
"You're probably also wondering why there was a whole crowd of people here, Mr. Grodner," said Judge O'Malley. "That's because there is a little principle that the Marine Corps has had since 1775," the judge continued. "When they fought and lost their lives so that people like you could enjoy the freedom of this country. It is a little proverb that we follow:"No Marine is left behind.
"So Sgt. McNulty couldn't be here. But other Marines showed up in his stead. Take him away," said the judge and former Marine.
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