Chapter 18 - Carla’s sentence
Presentence report:
Age thirty-seven.
No criminal record.
Stable residence.
Business owner.
Single impulsive assault.
Victim six.
Weapon-like object.
Minor physical injury.
No repeated abuse history.
Judge imposed:
Thirty days jail, suspended.
Eighteen months probation.
Forty hours community service.
Anger-management program.
No contact with Lily unless a future court order or Lily’s parent consents after probation review.
No actual jail.
Why?
Proportionality.
Carla hated the conviction more than confinement would have bothered her.
Then restitution:
Lily’s uncovered medical costs:
$1,460.
Therapy directly related to incident:
Documented portion.
No giant emotional-damages award in criminal case.
Then my civil defense.
Carla’s insurer? Her personal suit against me. Mediation.
Given video and reasonable defense-of-child argument, she settled for:
Mutual dismissal.
I paid nothing.
Each side bore own fees.
No admission.
That enraged her.
But litigation risk works both ways.
Then property case.
Carla’s company was still owed some real money.
May you like
Personal misconduct did not erase commercial rights.
We returned to spreadsheets.
