Army fails to discharge convicted GI
DRUNKEN DRIVER: Court was told sergeant would leave service in plea deal.
By JAMES HALPIN Published: November 27, 2007
A Fort Wainwright soldier convicted of felony assault after drunkenly plowing through three fences and blinding his passenger in one eye was sentenced Monday to serve only one month in jail as part of a deal he reached with prosecutors.
Sgt. Joseph Zochert, 23, now a convicted felon, will be allowed to remain in the Army despite being legally banned from handling firearms, said District Attorney Adrienne Bachman.
Bachman said she agreed to accept a plea to reduced charges and a lesser sentence because she was told Zochert would be discharged.
"He lost his career; he got a deal," Bachman said. "It seemed like it was an equitable solution."
The discharge never happened and apparently isn't going to, said Zochert's attorney, Jamie McGrady.
"He's going to stay in the Army despite this conviction today," McGrady said.
Judge John Suddock, who accepted the deal Bachman agreed to when she thought Zochert was being discharged, sentenced him to a total of five years in prison, with all but one month suspended.
Bachman said she agreed to accept a plea to reduced charges and a lesser sentence because she was told Zochert would be discharged.
"He lost his career; he got a deal," Bachman said. "It seemed like it was an equitable solution."
The discharge never happened and apparently isn't going to, said Zochert's attorney, Jamie McGrady.
"He's going to stay in the Army despite this conviction today," McGrady said.
Judge John Suddock, who accepted the deal Bachman agreed to when she thought Zochert was being discharged, sentenced him to a total of five years in prison, with all but one month suspended.
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 2:57 PM
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