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Judge to decide on moving Wiesel case to special court
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Eric Hunt, 23, is accused of attacking Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. He is to appear in court today in a hearing to determine if his case should be diverted to a special court for the mentally ill.
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - The man accused of attacking author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel in a San Francisco hotel on Feb. 1 is due to appear in court in San Francisco today. The afternoon hearing is to determine whether his case will be diverted from criminal court to a special court where mentally ill defendants receive alternatives to prison time.
Eric Hunt, 23, is severely bipolar, his attorney says. On August 21, Judge Harold Kahn recommended Hunt’s case be diverted to the Behavioral Health Court, which would order Hunt to treatment for his mental disorder.
Hunt allegedly grabbed Wiesel, 78, and tried to pull him from the elevator to his sixth-floor room where, he wrote in an Internet posting at the time, he wanted to make the Nobel Peace Prize winner retract his Holocaust memoir “Night.” Hunt's attorney, John Runfola, said Hunt was in the midst of a psychotic episode at the time.
“He is not morally ill, he is mentally ill,” Runfola has said of his client. Wiesel has previously characterized Holocaust deniers as “morally ill.”
Prosecutor Alan Kennedy has said he does not support the diversion program for Hunt because of the seriousness of the allegations. Kennedy said Hunt should be sentenced to prison for the six felony charges, which include kidnapping, attempted battery, elder abuse, false imprisonment, false imprisonment of an elder and stalking, with hate crime allegations.
Hunt is due in court today at 2 p.m., where a judge will hear from attorneys on both sides as to whether the case should be diverted.
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:37 PM MST on Tue., Jul. 22, 2008 re: "Man convicted of hate crime for accosting Wiesel"
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Examiner Reader said:
they should post new signs in hotel lobbies, saying, if you're a nut case or think you're on the verge of a breakdown, please stand at the Nut line for assistance. and do not bother our hotel clients who are flipping our bills.
2 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I hope you are okay and that the police find him now next time just tracel with someone you trust ill even travel with you because i love hearing your stories
1 agree | 2 disagree
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Person said:
Wow thats wierd
2 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
elie wiesel is my hero
4 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
If Elie Wiesel has to return to San Fransisco for the trial of his attacker, I hope That Elie takes someone like a friend or family member with him and does not travel alone. I have always liked his books and I admire him.
1 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I am speechless as to the inhumanity and indifference that some readers seem to have. It speaks to the complete lack of connection that people have to one another. It is outrageous.
2 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
it is not done and over with. whoever did it will surely come back for because they didn't finish the job.
4 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I feel really bad for the poor guy!He is really old how can he defend himself?!Oh well it is done and over with.
83 agree | 92 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
You would have to be really stupid to not believe what happened to these people come on its HISTORY. This man lived that horror you unbelievers need to spend some time in Auschwitz!! Try something possitve for once in your lives instead of hatefulness!!!!
118 agree | 107 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I think it was sincere because he didnt mean to scare Wiesel he just wanted to interview him and he souldnt be put in jail for trying to interview a author of a award winning book. OOOh Baby
105 agree | 100 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Wow. I hate to be off-topic about this, but check out the map function on this page. Seriously, I was able to point out the exact street where my house is.
171 agree | 191 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Hunt is sanity challenged--some may say: nuts"--his lawyer should reinstate the "not guilty by reason of insanity plea" and move on.
279 agree | 272 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
To think that one of the most respected humanitarians on this earth could be attacked by an anti-Semitic from the looney bin is devastating. I completely agree with Miss Hamlyn, and I pray that Mr Hunt is brought to justice. For someone like him to be let off the hook easily would be embarrassing, not only for our legal system, but for society as a whole.
351 agree | 381 disagree
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The Beast said:
It was the right thing to do by not fighting back, that was incredibly evil what that man did. Who would want to try to degrade what an advocate for mankind has to say? Only someone with issues I concur....
390 agree | 413 disagree
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Logan Grace Hamlyn said:
How foolish people truely are, obviously his morals and understanding of certain things are crossed. Even if he doesn't believe the Holocaust happened, his behavior was outragious. Honestly, I feel worse for Mr. Hunts parents than for his terribly disturbed mind. Because even thought their son committed the crime, they are living in the shame brought upon them by it. As a fourteen year old girl, I'm just begginning to try to understand motives of mankind. This, though it's not the worse that could have happened, is an incredibly shameful and "dumb-minded" act to do on such a well respected man.
437 agree | 376 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
wow well i feel sorry for what happend to you and hopefully those people will realize that people did die back then.i may only be 14 going on 15 but my grandmother was born in a concentration camp.. im not sure when... but hopefully people will see the story fromk your point of view
680 agree | 420 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
thisis a shame people should stop hatin
383 agree | 411 disagree
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