It's a bad idea to turn your back on a judge. That's what Philippe Patricio found out at his sentencing on Wednesday.
The Bethel man was accused of breaking into Danbury Municipal Airport one night last June, firing up a single-engine airplane and taking a drunken, middle-of-the-night joyride to Westchester County Airport.
He pleaded guilty in January to several New York state charges and was sentenced to time already served in prison – about nine months – on Wednesday.
But not before he got a severe tongue-lashing.
It all started when Westchester County Judge Rory Bellantoni began lecturing Patricio at his sentencing hearing. The judge said the first thing people thought was "terrorist" when they heard someone stole an airplane in greater metropolitan New York.
At that Patricio seemed to lose interest.
He had been standing with his handcuffed wrists behind his back next to Danbury attorney Ed Camacho. The paperwork for his case was in front of them on the table.
Once the judge mentioned the word terrorist, Patricio turned his back and picked up the papers. He started to move toward the door. Camacho stopped him.
Patricio's move wasn't missed by Bellantoni.
"You seem to have a problem with stupidity," Bellantoni said. "Have you been paying attention to all of my proceedings? From what I've seen, you're guilty of everything except for possibly criminal possession of an airplane."
[...]
"You seem to have a bad attitude. You're angry at society for punishing you for a crime you admit you committed," Bellantoni told Patricio. "You came here today a different person than the one who came in for his first arraignment in October."
Patricio arrived at his October arraignment afraid and embarrassed, Camacho said. Bellantoni observed that Patricio was angry and resentful Wednesday after nearly nine months in jail.
"An arrest like this has got to be a wake-up call for you," Bellantoni said. "The next time you could end up with 10 or 15 years in prison, and you could get someone killed."
"What the judge said was correct," said Assistant District Attorney Robert Prisco about Patricio. "He has a massive chip on his shoulder."
Oh, this is rich. This drunk idiot steals a plane, flys around at night risking the lives of the other drunk idiots who jumped in the plane with him as well as the people who lived in the area, and he has the nerve to act out in front of the judge because he has "a chip on his shoulder."
Oh, I wish I could have been at the courthouse on to see this dummy do his thing firsthand. It would of been better than watching an episode of Judge Joe Brown.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.
The article speaks for itself.
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
