Amato Case Comes To An End

As reported in the papers yesterday the J.C. Amato case came to a close this past Friday in CC Common Pleas Court. We written many words since Amato shot and killed his wife Tonia 32 months ago on a sunny summer day. That happened on July 1, 2007. Not only was a life tragically lost there were additional charges for having weapons under a disability, a controversial release when he was granted bail to await trial on house arrest, a second weapons charge with possible bomb making allegations which landed him incarcerated and bail denied, and a myriad of questions. Amato claimed it was in self-defense saying his wife shot at him first. Now it is over.

A plea deal was reached between the prosecution and defense team this past January. If accepted by the judge it was agreed that Amato will not be eligible for judicial release or have any right to appeal the sentence. Friday morning Judge C. Ashley Pike accepted the plea bargain and sentenced Amato to eight years total in prison on all the gun & bomb charges and voluntary manslaughter. Under state law there is a life time ban on ever possessing another gun.

The eight year sentence is three mandatory years that covered all weapon charges and five years for manslaughter. According to Court Records the sentences will "be served consecutively with each other for a total term of eight (8)years incarceration". A release date is set for March 1, 2018. It is up to the Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation & Corrections where Amato serves his sentence but the Court requested that the Lake Erie Correctional Institution be considered.

Before sentencing Amato apologized to his wife's family. He was quoted in newspaper accounts as saying "I know 'I'm sorry' doesn't even begin to make up for the loss. There was no hate in my heart when this happened. It was total reflex. If I could take it back, I would". This past Wednesday his defense attorney filed a memorandum with the Court asking that community release be considered for the sentence. Among other reasons stated in the memo was an expert opinion for the defense, from a gun shooting expert, that would have testified in the trial that with training Amato went through the shooting was a reflexive reaction.

There will never be an end to the grief that both families and Amato himself had thrust upon them by this loss of life. We sincerely home that everyone, through the grace of God, may some day come to terms with what happened. It is over and no one can undo what has happened.

ole nib