Cop in Abner Louima Case Released From Prison

By Jeralyn, Section Misconduct
Posted on Sat Feb 03, 2007 at 08:13:49 PM EST
Tags: Abner Louima (all tags)

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Former New York police officer Charles Schwarz, convicted in the brutal sodomy case of Haitian immigrant Abner Louima, has been released from federal prison to a halfway house. He served less than five years.

His plans for the future: to move to the "northern part of the country" and seek outdoor work, perhaps becoming a carpenter.

After a conviction, reversal and two more trials that ended in hung juries, Schwarz pleaded guilty to perjury. To this day, his lawyer argues the memory defense.

“The worst that Chuck did is that he saw Mr. Volpe walking Mr. Louima toward the bathroom, and when he was asked about that, a cop being a cop, he said he didn’t remember it,” Mr. Fischetti said.

The judge that sentenced him wasn't convinced.

Judge Reena Raggi said that he had failed to accept responsibility for lying to protect other officers, including Mr. Volpe. She told Mr. Schwarz she was convinced that there had been another officer in the bathroom, and that “it was either you, which I think is highly probable — in fact, I think it’s more than highly probable — or it was someone else.”

Let's just hope he sticks to his current plan for carpentry and doesn't try to join another police force.

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Cop in Abner Louima Case Released From Prison | 3 comments (3 topical)

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The memory defense? (none / 0) (#1)
by LarryE on Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 12:34:09 AM EST

"The worst that Chuck did is that he saw Mr. Volpe walking Mr. Louima toward the bathroom, and when he was asked about that, a cop being a cop, he said he didn't remember it," Mr. Fischetti said.

That sounds less like a memory defense than an admission of guilt. "Well, of course, he lied, y'know? He was protecting a fellow cop. So of course he lied."

The worst that Chuck did.... (none / 0) (#2)
by kdog on Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 07:13:12 AM EST

was sit idly by as a man got sodomized in the bowels of his police station.

Chuck (none / 0) (#3)
by diogenes on Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 10:57:21 PM EST

And he spent nearly five years in prison for it. Just punishment for the crime. Hey-in California the libs wouldn't have put him in prison at all because he was a "low-risk offender"-probably would have done house arrest instead.