My guess is this is not going to make many people happy.
The 12-year-old who was involved in the schoolyard altercation with Bailey O'Neill was in court yesterday.
He entered a a guilty plea to a charge of simple assault in connection with the fight on a playground at Darby Township Elementary School. Bailey's family and friends are convinced the fight played a role in seizures Bailey suffered a few weeks later. The youth was hospitalized, but never recovered. His family finally made the agonizing decision to take him off life support.
District Attorney Jack Whelan declined to bring homicide charges, based on medical findings that could find no link between the fight and Bailey's later health issues.
Under terms of the plea deal, the youth will serve 24 hours of community service, and take part in decision-making, victim awareness and anger management classes.
I concur with Juvenile Court Master Robert Curran, who listened to Bailey's mother describe her son before offering his sentence.
Curran is right. There are no words he can offer either one of these families. If anything, maybe this case will make one other young person think twice before raising a fist.
An incredibly sad case just got sadder.
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