A guy gets probation for beating three people in a bar. Three guesses what's his job.

That's right – he's a cop in Chicago, of course, which basically dictates he can be as big a brutish asshole as he wishes and will still get slapped on the hand, at worst. Must be fun to be a cop, able to commit all sorts of felonies and vile acts and not get punished for them. *Sigh*

Anyway. Today's story is about officer Anthony Abbate, who was caught on security camera beating three people in a bar, including the barmaid herself, just because she refused to serve him any more drinks once he had clearly become inebriated. What's his rightful punishment? Two small years on probation.

Somehow, I figure that stings rather more for the victims of his unprovoked attacks than for himself.

A Chicago police officer avoided jail time today for pummeling a woman who was tending bar, even though prosecutors produced a previously unseen video showing him beating someone else at the bar hours earlier.

Anthony Abbate was sentenced to two years probation for beating Karolina Obrycka in February of 2007. He could have gotten up to five years for the attack, which was captured by the bar's security camera and shown around the world.

Judge John Fleming said he decided against jail because he did not believe the crime was serious enough and throwing Abbate behind bars would not be a deterrent to others.

"If I believed that sending Anthony Abbate to prison would stop people from getting drunk and hitting other people, I'd sentence him to the maximum," the judge said. "But I don't believe that is the case."

Fleming also imposed a curfew of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. for Abbate, who declined to say anything to the judge before he was sentenced. The cop must also attend anger management classes, undergo alcohol evaluation and perform 130 hours of community service.

So the judge keeps Abbate out of jail, just because it wouldn't "stop people from getting drunk and hitting other people"? What kind of stupid reasoning is that? Since when do you keep bullies and thugs from being punished, on the sole premise that it wouldn't stop others from being bullies and thugs? I'm sorry, "Your Honor", but you sentence criminals to jail because they deserve it, AND to keep them off the streets for a while. Not because it would act as an example for others. That's completely nonsensical.

In arguing for prison time, prosecutors produced a previously unseen video from the bar hours before Obrycka was attacked showing Abbate beating someone else.

In the video, a man in the bar can be seen speaking with Abbate for a few seconds, after which Abbate grabs the man, slams him against a wall and then throws him across the room. The man crashes to the floor and into the bar stools, and Abbate stands over him as the man tries to shimmy away on his back.

Assistant State's Atty. LuAnn Snow said the attack was one of three unprovoked assaults in the span of 6 hours, a violent window into "a day in the life of Anthony Abbate." Authorities did not charge Abbate with the other two alleged attacks.

What a thug. I'm still waiting for Judge Scalia's fabled "New Police Professionalism" here ...