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Wed May 18, 2005, 09:59am
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Copied from the New Haven Register (CT) because I know that the link will dissapear (they have a habit of doing that).
05/18/2005 Father charged in attack on coach Joe Morelli , New Haven Register Staff Sacred Heart Academy-Hamden softball coach John Crovo was attacked with a baseball bat Tuesday by a parent apparently upset over the suspension of his daughter for violating a team policy. Crovo, a 54-year-old Clinton resident, was hit from behind by Mark Picard of North Branford at the Sacred Heart softball field during practice at about 3:45 p.m., police said. Picard, an art teacher at Notre Dame High School of West Haven, was charged with first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment and risk of injury. Crovo, who is also the director of information and technology for the Clinton public schools, was admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital with head, chest and leg injuries and later released. "I took a big-time beating," Crovo said. "He was swinging for the fences. This guy was trying to kill me." Crovo said the first blow was to his head. Picard then hit him several times when he was down in a fetal position, according to Crovo. According to several sources, Picard was allegedly upset because his daughter, Melanie, was suspended for three games late last week for attending a prom rather than a game against West Haven. Mark Picard did not return several calls from the Register. Blair Destito, a junior co-captain and shortstop, witnessed the incident. "The girl and her father and older sister (Michelle) were at the field when we walked down to go to practice. It was really weird to see her father there ... Our coach started talking to the girl's father, then all of a sudden I hear girls screaming and our JV team was running away from where they were standing. I looked over and our coach is on the ground and the girl's father is beating him with a bat, he was continually hitting him. "The girl ran over and was screaming at her father to stop, eventually he just stopped.," Destito said. Said Crovo: "He wanted to know if his kid could play (today) and I said I didn't want her here and I told him to take her home, and I turned around and walked away." According to Destito, Crovo was walking away and "the father picked up a bat and hit him on the back of his head." Destito said when Picard started walking away from the incident, an assistant coach called 911 and the police and that Crovo was left lying on the ground. Team Co-captain Brittany De-Gennaro also witnessed the attack. "Melanie and Michelle were both very involved in getting Mr. Picard to calm down. ... It was over a stupid policy that was supposed to protect the morale of the team." Picard was released on $25,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court May 31. Crovo also coached Melanie Picard, and said he has never had a problem with Mark Picard, also noting their relationship was always cordial. Crovo said he will be out of work for at least the next 10 days and must wear a neck brace during that time span. An orthopedic surgeon will check the condition of his knees after the swelling goes down. The attack comes less than a week after state House lawmakers passed a bill making it a felony to assault a referee, umpire or other sports officials. Though the bill does not cover coaches, its co-sponsor suggested Tuesday it might be expanded to protect coaches. "I would imagine that a prosecutor, once this bill passes, would take a hard line on an assault against a coach as well, although the bill itself doesn't cover that," said state Rep. David Labriola, R-Naugatuck. "This incident is just further evidence that this is a very real problem regarding tempers flaring at these sporting events," said Labriola, a criminal defense lawyer. "Enough is enough." If passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, the law would carry a maximum prison term of five years and $5,000 fine. [Edited by ozzy6900 on May 18th, 2005 at 11:03 AM]
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When in doubt, bang 'em out! Ozzy 
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Wed May 18, 2005, 11:59am
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The problem is they will probably get the charges reduced to simple assault and he'll never do any time, just some community service and MAYBE anger management.
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"Contact does not mean a foul, a foul means contact." -Me
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Wed May 18, 2005, 01:23pm
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Luckily Connecticut is in the process of passing a law making it a felony for assaulting an official. The law is written for officials but needs to be ammended to apply to coaches, and others involved in sports.
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Bob
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Wed May 18, 2005, 03:25pm
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How is an attack on a coach (or umpire for that matter) different from one on a teacher, a Scout leader, a grocery clerk, or an insurance salesman? We already have laws on the books that cover assault. Explain to me why the penalty for assault on a member of one profession should be any different than it is for an assault on anyone else.
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Wed May 18, 2005, 03:52pm
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Wed May 18, 2005, 04:24pm
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In Texas it would be Aggravated Assault w/ a Deadly Weapon, second degree felony. Same level as attempted murder.
As far as a special law just for sports officials, if people would tell their elected DA's, Judges, etc. to enforce the laws already on the books, would be no need for legislators to grandstand everytime this happens and write more laws.
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Wed May 18, 2005, 04:27pm
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 Look, I don't want to get assaulted any more than the next guy (although if you're chosing someone to assault, I'd rather you chose the next guy), but I don't see why we need a special law making it "extra illegal" to assault me while I've got my uniform on.
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Wed May 18, 2005, 05:23pm
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This wasn't a shot at NASO specifically, they promote officiating and I like that alot. It is about how any special interest law is pushed to a legislative vote through lobbying groups, even though a similar law is on the books already for the masses. We don't need a special law, but lobbyists are paid handsomely to convince people that a special law is needed. Finally, I believe the guy with the baseball bat should be charged with attempted murder, and go from there. If his charge will get reduced anyway, let's start at the top. Since he had time to steam over the prom issue, his actions could be deemed premeditated by a good prosecutor.
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Wed May 18, 2005, 08:18pm
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geeez..........
Nothing to be proud of, not by any means......but here in Ca., I got into an argument with girlfriend, children were present. Things were heated, she is swinging at me, kids get scared. Call the cops, I'm leaving the house(we were on 2 acres) and 1/4 mile down road. I go to jail, endened up pleading to a felony and misdemeanor child endangerment and just spent 5 1/2 months locked up. All we did was argue and she pushed and shoved, I defend myself and end up being locked up. At the time, I had just gotten released from hospital for ankle surgury, have a cast on one leg from foot to hip, 2 literal lag-bolts putting my ankle back together and I am a villian. Things said in front of kids was totally unacceptable(on my part), that part of punishment is deserved, but this state just tears guys apart for this "domestic violence" stuff. Now, some is very ligit, but damm, arguing???????
But we can go clock somebody with a bat on a field and face................nuttin.........Saw a news thing today, 5 year old brings a LOADED gun to school, 5th grader takes it to principal, gun owner faces a class c misd. and 500.00 max fine......go figure
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Wed May 18, 2005, 09:04pm
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This is a horrible situation. In addition to other legal penalties he should never be allowed on school property during a sporting event. And for coaches never take your eye off a parent with a complaint, and for officials never take your eye off the ball, of a coach or parent who has a complaint. Don't end up in a ball on the ground being beaten with a bat.
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Thu May 19, 2005, 07:12am
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Where's his rational?
There honey, how's that? I showed him not to do that to my family! If they enforce the laws, he might get to find out about bullies in jail.
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Do you ever feel like your stuff strutted off without you?
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Thu May 19, 2005, 12:11pm
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One should not get beaten, ever, period - no one. But it seems even more pertinent to not get beaten for performing the task of enforcing rules - similar to the tasks of a police officer, or a judge. I would say there is, or definitely should be a kinship.
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"There are no superstar calls. We don't root for certain teams. We don't cheat. But sometimes we just miss calls." - Joe Crawford
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