Box Turtle Bulletin

Knott still thinks she’s above punishment

Last September, a dozen or so good Catholic school alumni were out for a night of getting drunk and having a fine ol’ time when they decided that it would be awfully fun to gang up on a gay couple and beat them while screaming homophobic slurs. Having had their jollies, they left the couple bleeding on the sidewalk, and all set off to celebrate at a bar, big smiles on their faces.

But as this was 2015, security cameras abound and soon three of the assailants were in custody.

Two of them pled guilty, expressed remorse, and agreed to community service. But Kathryn Knott, a blond pretty daughter of a local police chief decided that she’d fight the charges. Surely a jury would take her word over that of a couple of, well, you know.

The jury listened to her character witnesses tell of what an angel Kathryn is, her dramatic “I’m sorry for what happened to you” to the victims, and her protestations that she was only there to break up the fight. They also heard and the testimony of the victims, witnesses who saw her swing punches, and her history of homophobic and other hate-filled tweets. In the end, they decided that not only was Kathryn Knott guilty, she’s also a horrible person.

Her counsel had argued that she shouldn’t receive punishment because people had already said mean things about her, and surely that’s punishment enough. But the judge was equally not a fan and on Monday, the 8th, gave her sentence. (6ABC)

Common Pleas Judge Roxanne Covington questioned how then-hospital worker Kathryn Knott walked away from the victims as one lay badly injured in September 2014.

She also ordered the 25-year-old Knott, whose online posts have insulted gays, non-English speakers, Middle Easterners and hospital patients alike, to get anger management treatment and stay out of Philadelphia during two years of probation.

“While these were homophobic slurs that started this incident, it could have been any type of hate speech,” said the judge, who said she herself might have been attacked walking with her girlfriend or sister. “It could have been anyone.”

She sentence Knott to 5 to 10 months in jail.

But, as we already know, Knott isn’t fond of being punished for her actions. And it’s just not fair.

The other two who admitted their guilt, expressed remorse, and negotiated their punishment received a lesser sentence. Surely Knott, being blond and pretty, should be able to have a do-over and now accept the same deal she had already rejected.

Or how about this, instead of going to jail, Knott could go on TV. There she could tell everyone that it’s a very bad thing to beat gay couples and leave them unconscious on the ground with a broken jaw.

How’s that? It could be two-fer. Not only would she not be in jail, but people might start to like her instead of say all those meany mean things about her. (Philly)

As an alternative to being locked up, attorney William Brennan suggested that 25-year-old Knott could perform a public-service announcement “where she could take the infamy of the arrest and maybe heal some wounds.”

But if Knott wanted to heal wounds, she could have done so right after she caused them, while her victims were laying there in front of her. And television celebrity is not punishment for inhumane and criminal behavior.