From New York City, Frontlines TPUSA reporter Savanah Hernandez reported on the situation of Charles Foehner, who was sentenced this week to four years in prison for defending himself against a man with a history including violent criminal record and mental illness.
Foehner was charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
To contrast a similar situation with Foehner’s, Hernandez brought up the case of a homeless man who defended himself with a knife after being attacked by five illegal immigrants on a subway.
“I don’t think justice was served on a macro level,” the attorney of Foehner, Thomas Kenniff said. “We’ve said consistently our position was that Charlie is not without fault. He possessed firearms that he wasn’t lawfully allowed to possess. The question is one of proportionality. Prosecutors have essentially absolute discretion in these situations. They exercised some of that discretion. To give charlie a sentence that was less than what he would have faced at trial.”
“But the question is whether the ultimate sentence is proportional,” Kenniff continued, “Whether it was necessary to send someone of Charlie’s age given his lack of history, of any violence, the impeccable life he’s led, to an upstate prison sentence where we continue in this city and other cities
Foehner had to sell his home that he and his wife lived in, as a result of the prosecution. Kenniff worries of the mental impact this sentencing will cause for his client as he is separated from his family and main source of income.
“I’ve never been part of a case this sad and tragic,” Kenniff lamented.
Hernandez noted that several concerned citizens, backing Foehner, have contacted Queen’s County District Attorney Melinda Katz, pleading on his behalf.
