It’s not unusual for one side or the other to be unhappy with a jury’s verdict.
It’s a little more unusual when both sides are grumbling.
That seems to be the case in the case against Stephen Fischere. A Delaware County jury Wednesday acquitted him of the more serious charges of first- and second-degree murder in connection with the death of 4-year-old Zander Grogan. They convicted him of aggravated assault and reckless endangering.
Neither side is especially happy. Fischere supporters are grumbling that he was convicted of anything at all. Those aligned with the baby’s mother are bemoaning the fact that he was not convicted of the murder charges.
Fishchere now faces at least five years in prison.
That is not nearly enough to satisfy members of the Grogan family.
“I can’t believe (Fischere) got away with murder,” Zander’s grandmother Valorie Grogan said outside court.
Friends of Fischere continued to stand by him, saying they know he could not hurt a child.
“I would trust (Fischere) with my son any day of the week,” one of them commented.
Perhaps it was left to defense attorney Mark Much to put the case in perspective.
“This was a tragedy,” he said.
No one will question that. A 4-year-old boy is dead.
And there remains lots of questions as to why, and who is responsible.
It’s a little more unusual when both sides are grumbling.
That seems to be the case in the case against Stephen Fischere. A Delaware County jury Wednesday acquitted him of the more serious charges of first- and second-degree murder in connection with the death of 4-year-old Zander Grogan. They convicted him of aggravated assault and reckless endangering.
Neither side is especially happy. Fischere supporters are grumbling that he was convicted of anything at all. Those aligned with the baby’s mother are bemoaning the fact that he was not convicted of the murder charges.
Fishchere now faces at least five years in prison.
That is not nearly enough to satisfy members of the Grogan family.
“I can’t believe (Fischere) got away with murder,” Zander’s grandmother Valorie Grogan said outside court.
Friends of Fischere continued to stand by him, saying they know he could not hurt a child.
“I would trust (Fischere) with my son any day of the week,” one of them commented.
Perhaps it was left to defense attorney Mark Much to put the case in perspective.
“This was a tragedy,” he said.
No one will question that. A 4-year-old boy is dead.
And there remains lots of questions as to why, and who is responsible.
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