Amazing: Long Island (NY) woman gets only six months for murdering her husband

Is this a new low in contempt for men? Marvellous what a few tears and claims of abuse will accomplish

As she sobbed into a paper napkin in a Riverhead courtroom Wednesday, the Holbrook woman who ran over and killed her husband after an argument on their 25th wedding anniversary and then fled was sentenced to six months in jail. Supported by several weeping family members, Joanne Riva expressed remorse and asked State Supreme Court Justice Robert Doyle for leniency. "The only thing I can say is that my family is destroyed by this and I am destroyed," she said. "I am so sorry this happened."

Despite Riva's pleas, Doyle said jail time was necessary because Riva had known her husband was injured when she fled to her brother's house and waited several hours before reporting the accident. "When she was a block away or two blocks away, she could have reported the accident when the husband could no longer pose a threat," he said. "But she waited seven hours."

Riva, 50, pleaded guilty in June to leaving the scene of a fatal accident; a previous drunken driving charge was dropped. Police said they did not believe Riva intentionally ran over her husband outside the couple's home in June 2003. But the mandatory jail time, which Riva will start serving at the DWI Alternative Facility in Yaphank on Monday, dashed her hope for a non-jail sentence based on a history of domestic abuse.

"Joanne Riva should not spend one second in jail. She was just running from another attack," said Riva's attorney, Robert Gottlieb of Commack. Suffolk police said they had responded to domestic abuse calls at the Riva home, most recently in 2002.

Riva's remorse for the crime has been an issue in recent plea and sentencing negotiations. Last month, Gottlieb said Riva pleaded guilty in exchange for a sentence of community service and probation. A court transcript showed that the judge had said he would follow the recommendation of a presentencing report issued by the county probation department. But that report hinted that Riva had not shown sufficient remorse for the crime. Riva refused to withdraw her plea and risk a maximum 11/3 to 4 years in prison.

Members of Riva's family had several heated exchanges with Gottlieb outside the courtroom Wednesday, and Riva's son Frank spoke emotionally to the court in his mother's defense. "My father is dead and now my mother is going to jail. There is nothing just about it," he said. "Putting her in jail is not going to make anything better."

Report here



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