U.S. District Senior Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York. (Photo: David Handschuh/NYLJ)Federal Judge Decries Incivility 'From the President on Down' While Sentencing Man Who Threatened US Senator
A Brooklyn man pleaded guilty in May to threatening to assault and murder a Democratic U.S. senator in a voicemail message. That senator has not been identified in the case.
September 27, 2019 at 04:39 PM
3 minute read
A Brooklyn man who threatened a U.S. senator was sentenced Friday to three years' probation, and U.S. District Senior Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York took the opportunity to address other issues he sees that display a lack of mutual respect in the current national discourse.
"It's a tragedy for our country," he told Michael Brogan of Brooklyn. "It's not just you. It's everyone."
Brogan pleaded guilty in May to threatening to assault and murder a Democratic U.S. senator in a voicemail message. That senator has not been identified in the case. Brogan became angry after seeing something online about the senator's views on reproductive rights, Michael Schneider of the Federal Defenders of New York said in court Friday.
During the sentencing, Garaufis praised Brogan for taking care of his mother and brother, both of whom are disabled. Brogan also works full time, Schneider said.
Garaufis could have sentenced Brogan to six to 12 months in prison, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Selden described as an appropriate sentence given Brogan's history of responding angrily to conflicts with people in the past, including traffic police. Selden declined to comment on Garaufis' final decision.
Brogan apologized earnestly before he was sentenced, saying he's been in anger management treatment and realizes he's hurt "too many people."
"This is a moment for me to just start fresh and never, ever do it again … in any iteration. With anybody," he said.
Garaufis said it's important that Brogan understands everyone deserves to be respected on the job, whether the person is a traffic officer or a senator. He said he's also seeing incivility from all kinds of people.
"This is happening at all levels, from the president on down," Garaufis said. "It's no surprise that someone is gonna act out, seeing how people in authority act out."
He said Brogan will have to spend the first six months of his three years of probation on a version of house arrest, though he'll be allowed to leave home to go to work.
"I hope we return to a society of respect and decency before it's too late," Garaufis said after telling Brogan the details of his sentence.
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