The news articles include an email address for the author. I copied them my comments:
(initial article)
[email protected]
(follow-up articles)
[email protected]
I am a sports official and have been following your reporting of Judge John Zottola's case concerning Peter Dukovich's assault of Ron Bell. Many sports officials have been following your work and the case. In general we are appalled with the decision.
I sent the following comments to the county's web-site and thought perhaps you would be interested. Judge Zottola appears to have committed a terrible disservice to all sports officials. Sports officials put themselves in harms way for love of the game and to make the contest possible. They generally do not have the backing of armed guards as they make their decisions - they are really hanging their necks out. Judge Zottola's decision appears to have made it more likely for us to get hung... legally.
My comments to Allegheny county:
Recent decision by Judge John Zottola acquitting Peter Dukovich of assaulting an official is unbelievable and from an external viewpoint, appears to be extremely unjust.
That the defendant didn't know he was body slamming the referee is incomprehensible. There are only players and referees allowed on the court. Does this mean that Dukovich thought he was body slamming a player, a minor?
This decision is a severe injustice. A man's life has been drastically altered SOLELY because of the actions of Peter Dukovich. Neither adult Dukovich should have been on the court. At least the wife pleaded guilty for her disruptive actions. She apparently had some of her wits about her. Not sure how the husband could be so unaware of his location and his actions. Only because they went onto the court, did any of this happen. Essentially, they instigated and caused the ensuing results. They destroyed a man's physical health and completely altered the rest of his life.
In the 'honorable' Judge's courtroom, proper decorum and activities are maintained because of the judge's authority and the threat of penalty. Much the same is true on the basketball court; proper decorum and mature activities are ensured by the sports official's authority and threat of penalties. The roles of a judge and a sports official are quite similar - although the penalties are on a completely different scale. Given Judge Zottola's inability to fully grasp this situation, it would likely be acceptable to him for someone with a separate agenda to enter his courtroom and start enforcing their own sense of justice, imposing penalties - physical, vicious penalties. Essentially overruling his (the judge's) authority.
Judge Zottola's decision sends a message that this immature, vicious behavior is condoned. The 'honorable' judge says that fan behavior is getting out of hand yet he basically condones this behavior with a very minor sentence of simple assault. Body slamming is simple assault?!
For me, having seen this heinous injustice, it is no small wonder why fan behavior is getting out of control. Those in our society charged with controlling fan behavior, such as Judge Zottola, are not.