Judge Says Defendant's Facebook Posts Didn't Influence Her Sentencing Decision
A judge in Will County south of Chicago says she didn’t consult the Facebook posts of a reckless homicide defendant before sentencing him on Wednesday to two months in jail.
Prosecutors had told Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak that Facebook posts by 25-year-old defendant Tomasz Maciaszek would refute his courtroom statements made last month, the Herald-News reports. Maciaszek had apologized for the car accident that killed a high school student and said he has been secluded in his room, haunted by the death.
Prosecutors didn’t reveal what was in the posts, but they said ithey t told a different story.
On Wednesday, Bertani-Tomczak returned the Facebook printouts to prosecutors, according to the Herald-News report. “I have not seen anything or looked at anything,” the judge said.
Maciaszek will also have to complete two years of probation and perform 500 hours of community service.
Hat tip to ISBA Daily Legal News.