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Mar 5, 2008

"Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it forgoes revenge, and dares forgive an injury." --E.H. Chapin

An Unusual Punishment

What punishment should be imposed on a man who shot a police officer almost 40 years ago and fled to Canada, but went on to live an upstanding life as a husband and father who worked in a library? There was a rare answer here on Friday: Require him to give $250,000 to a foundation that helps the families of injured Chicago police officers. Joseph Pannell will serve just 30 days in jail and two years’ probation as part of a plea bargain that legal experts called extremely unusual. The driving force behind the arrangement, both sides said, was the former Chicago police officer himself, Terrence Knox, whose right arm was permanently damaged by the shooting.“Something good had to come out of this,” Mr. Knox said.