After putting him through the wringer over the past month, Justice William M. Erlbaum found State Senator Hiram Monserrate not guilty of two felony counts of slashing the face of his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, with a broken water glass during an argument. He did, however, find Monserrate guilty of the a misdemeanor charge of recklessly causing Giraldo physical injury by dragging her though his lobby after she was cut, which carries a prison sentence of up to a year. In his decision, the judge sounded as though he really regretted not being able to convict Monserrate on all of the charges: “The state has clearly proven that he did cause injury to Karla Giraldo beyond a reasonable doubt,” he said, adding that the charges relating to her slashed face “were not proven.” Even Monserrate’s lawyer sounded skeptical: “If ever a case cried out for reasonable doubt, this is it,” he said. The sentencing is set for December 4.
State Senator Found Not Guilty of Felony Assault on Woman [NYT]
