Woman who faced 6-year term for court lockup kick that caused no injury gets 1 year after plea deal
Tina Hunt was last convicted of a violent crime—robbery—some 20 years ago.
But, because of that conviction, under sentencing laws in Illinois, she faced a minimum six-year prison term for kicking a Cook County sheriff’s deputy, essentially without leaving a mark on him.
Now 49, she had been in the city’s main criminal courthouse in 2013 to attend a hearing for her son, the Chicago Tribune (reg. req.) reported in a lengthy article earlier this year.
Because an elevator was out of order, prisoners were at hand and Hunt was told by a deputy to get out of the way as officers brought them toward a third-floor elevator she had just exited. An argument ensued, and, although exactly what happened is disputed, Hunt wound up under arrest as she proceeded toward the courthouse door after being told to leave. She kicked the deputy in a sheriff’s lockup.
Charged with a felony over the incident, Hunt was convicted of aggravated battery after a bench trial last year. But, in the wake of the Tribune’s front-page article in February about her case, a deal was reached with prosecutors. The battery conviction was thrown out, and Hunt pleaded guilty Thursday to a reduced felony charge of resisting a police officer and was sentenced to one year behind bars, the Chicago Tribune (reg. req.) reports.
With credit for the four months she has already been incarcerated, Hunt could be released as soon as two months from now, her lawyer, Jeffrey Neslund, told the newspaper.
However, the conviction will continue to reverberate in her life even after she is freed, he has said, because the felony conviction is expected to cause Hunt to lose her federal subsidized housing assistance.
