Probation for man who stabbed 2 during fight at Greenwood block party
A former University of Michigan student who stabbed two men at the Greenwood Avenue block party in April was sentenced to three years of probation on Thursday.
Michael Crist was arrested in June on four charges related to the April incident following the annual block party when he stabbed two men with a beer bottle during an altercation, police said. One of the 20-year-old victims nearly died from his injuries and had to be transported to University of Michigan Hospital, according to Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Brenda Taylor.
He will serve three years probation with conditions that he not use alcohol or drugs and will submit to testing, according to Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge David Swartz’s ruling.
Taylor said Crist affected his victims’ lives in irreparable ways and should be required to take anger management classes. Swartz left that requirement for probation to decide.
“You do not bring a knife to a fistfight, and that is what Mr. Crist did,” Taylor said.
Crist’s lawyer, Douglas Mullkoff, said the incident was unfortunate and out of character for Crist. Mulkoff told Swartz that Crist was celebrating graduating from U-M after studying economics with some friends when two men, who Mullkoff said were highly intoxicated, made their way into the group looking to fight.
Mullkoff said the two men struck Crist and one of his friends and Crist lashed out with a beer bottle that he was holding, severely injuring them. Mullkoff said Crist had a few drinks that night, but was not intoxicated.
“He used more force than was reasonable, as we look back with 20/20 hindsight,” Mullkoff said. “But, he did not mean to injure anyone that night.”
Crist declined the opportunity to speak in court before he was sentenced.
Swartz had made an agreement with Crist and Mullkoff that he would not sentence the defendant to jail if he pleaded guilty to the assault with a dangerous weapon charge.
He said he believed the incident was out of character for Crist, but could have also ended someone else’s life.
“I totally agree that this was an unfortunate incident. Someone was very injured and it could’ve turned out a lot worse than it did,” Swartz said.
“And, it’s unfortunate because I am convinced that this behavior was out of character for the defendant and is not something he would have otherwise been involved in.”
Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Sallyxyz
Sat, Nov 5, 2011 : 8:07 p.m.
"One of the 20-year-old victims nearly died from his injuries and had to be transported to University of Michigan Hospital." Excuse me, but these two "victims," who were highly intoxicated, made their way into the group looking to fight. These victims started the fight. I'm sorry, but if you get drunk and start a fight, you might get hurt! After all, wasn't that the intention of the so-called victims? To start a fight and hurt some people? Yes, one "victim got stabbed in the melee. But, the victims STARTED the fight! Everyone seems to ignore that point. Why wasn't there any punishment for these two thugs that got drunk and started the fight?
Sallyxyz
Sat, Nov 5, 2011 : 7:58 p.m.
Where is the photo of Michael Crist? Incomplete reporting and ignoring the public's right to know.
Kyle Feldscher
Mon, Nov 7, 2011 : 4:49 p.m.
Sally- I requested the mugshot from the AAPD and was informed they do not release photos.
justme
Sat, Nov 5, 2011 : 3:51 p.m.
If you think plea bargains are just an easy out for criminals, you're naive at best. Prosecutors coerce plea bargains by threatening higher charges, whether or not the accused is guilty of anything. As long as conviction rates are part of the way we evaluate performance in the prosecutor's office that will continue to happen, and cases like this, where the evidence strongly suggests self-defense, will end in innocent people accepting felony pleas rather than risking the uncertainties of a jury trial that could end in significant prison time. That's not justice.
Red Floyd
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 4:06 p.m.
...and then everybody tied the laces of their shoes together, and threw them up onto the telephone wires...
racerx
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 3:03 p.m.
Wow. And this street event is still open? Will occur next spring too? See parking structure story and those who will/have accused Studio 4. Oh, I'm sorry. It's a UM student.
Stupid Hick
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:02 p.m.
If he were carrying a pistol instead of a bottle, would everyone at the party have been safer? Would the outcome have been better?
Ron Granger
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:53 p.m.
Yes - this is perfect example of why pepper spray can be so useful. Stun guns too, but those are not legal in Michigan and not practical against more than one attacker.
Ricebrnr
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:18 p.m.
as with all things...depends.. If he "brandished" it and the 2 aggressors ceased their attacks and left, would that have been better? If all other factors are equal though, he wouldn't have had justification to draw a pistol either. Now many gunnies I know who would NOT have been drinking and may carry at such events, believe in and carry pepper spray specifically to bridge that gap.
Ricebrnr
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:59 p.m.
MY gut reaction is sounds like self defense to me as well. PA 310 states that a prosecutor may still charge a person who has defended himself if the prosecutor can present to the court evidence that the person did not believe he was threatened with criminal attack. This represents a substantial change from the prior law which puts the burden of proof on the person defending himself to show that he did believe he was subject to criminal attack. PA 309 says that if a person is anywhere he has a legal right to be, he has no duty to retreat if he believe he is threatened by criminal attack. Note that this differs from the home/business situation where it is presumed that he believes he is subject to criminal attack. I going to guess though that the stabber was not able to articulate a reasonable fear of great bodily harm or death AND that some other actions surrounding the event made him more of a mutual combatant than a victim. Lessons for us all.
Ron Granger
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:48 p.m.
The guy who defened himself with the bottle was an Economics major. So my question is, did he need to re-tape the bridge of his glasses after the fight?
Marilyn Wilkie
Sat, Nov 5, 2011 : 1:06 a.m.
curious to me that fact was in the article.
Ron Granger
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:47 p.m.
At first I was going to post the usual "not harsh enough sentence, no jail" comment.. But then I actually read the story. As the story goes, two very drunk guys barge into a graduation party, looking to fight. They attack the graduate, who defends himself with a beer bottle. His defense is considered excessive. If that account is accurate, that's a tough situation. And, btw, the graduate was an *Economics* major. That tells me a fair bit about the type of person he is. You can't always rely on that but, economics? What would you do? Get into a fist fight with two guys? Dial 911 as they pummel you?
Marilyn Wilkie
Sat, Nov 5, 2011 : 1:04 a.m.
It was a street party and they didn't just fight with Christ but with his friend as well according to the article. I suppose they all could have picked used broken bottles to fight ala West Side Story but they didn't. He did. "Mullkoff said the two men struck Crist and one of his friends and Crist lashed out with a beer bottle that he was holding, severely injuring them." This street has had problems in the past with this stuff. I lived on that street years ago. It was peaceful then. People were into grass not booze.
amlive
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:45 p.m.
"You do not bring a knife to a fistfight, and that is what Mr. Crist did," Taylor said. Our county Assistant Prosecutor really said this? You've got to be kidding me... Assuming we can believe Crist's story (a big assumption I know, but bear with me), it would seem he nether intentionally went to a fight, nor did he bring a weapon with him. If this story is true, then the fight came to him without any invitation or provocation, and he used whatever impromptu tools he had on hand to defend himself. So what the attorney is saying is that if I am attacked, and I since I'm neither big nor an experienced fighter and know I couldn't suitably defend myself with my bare hands, then if I pick up a rock or bottle or any makeshift weapon to defend myself then suddenly I am a criminal for doing so? I'm sure we don't know the whole story - maybe Crist's safety was never really threatened had he just stood down or walked away, in which case I could see the charges against him as being fair, and perhaps more severe punishment deserved. If it could have reasonably been argued to be an instant reaction of self defense, I would think he could have taken it to court and won. The fact that he took a plea probably means it wasn't so simple as this though.
OLDTIMER3
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:09 p.m.
I think some of you responding to this article should learn to read. It says two men attacked him, he wasn't looking or attacking these 2 guys it should have been self defense for Christ. And the attackers got what?
Jimmy McNulty
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:09 p.m.
Bull-puckey! "when two men, who Mullkoff said were highly intoxicated, made their way into the group looking to fight." Self-defense. I love the prosecutor's statement of "You do not bring a knife to a fistfight, and that is what Mr. Crist did." The two folks who were looking for a fight got what they deserved. I think Mr. Crist should appeal.
Wolf's Bane
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:52 p.m.
LOL!!! Wait, he stabs two people and gets probation? That's it, I'm going to start carrying my crossbow in public.
Faygo
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
"Swartz had made an agreement with Crist and Mullkoff that he would not sentence the defendant to jail if he pleaded guilty to the assault with a dangerous weapon charge. " Sad day for Americans when they are coerced into choosing the lesser of two evils in lieu of telling what they believe to be the truth. At least for Crist it only meant probation. One can only wonder how roomy our jails would be if this wasn't such a popular out for the courts.
Chris 8 - YPSI PRIDE
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 11:27 a.m.
If what the story above is the truth I do not understand how this didn't amount to self defense. If two people were attacking me, and I was sober, I would be using the nearest object whatever it might be to defend myself. For someone who was allegedly drunk I think perfect judgement was used. Two on one could easily turn in to a deadly situation for the one. Is something missing from this story? As far as I am concerned the person convicted is the one who should be walking and the alleged attackers should be brought up on charges.
Ricebrnr
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
"I also wonder how the beer bottle got broken and turned into a sharp weapon." Presumably one strikes the end of the glass bottle sharply against a hard object, the hope is that you will leave the neck of the bottle and a sharp point with which to use as a stabbing implement. We should ban glass bottles..
Marilyn Wilkie
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 1:03 p.m.
The article says " two men struck Crist and one of his friends and Crist lashed out with a beer bottle that he was holding, severely injuring them." so it does not sound like 2 on 1. I don't understand what you mean by your statement "For someone who was allegedly drunk I think perfect judgement was used. ". Are you talking about Christ? I also wonder how the beer bottle got broken and turned into a sharp weapon.
ChrisW
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 11:14 a.m.
It says he was attacked and responded with a bottle he was holding. Seems like self-defense.
Marilyn Wilkie
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 11:10 a.m.
Swartz gave him 3 years probation for stabbing two people and almost killing one of them? He said he thought the incident was "out of character" for this man. Plea deals have gone too far. Was this because he was a college graduate and not a guy who worked at McDonalds? One has to wonder.
Nick Danger
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 10:39 a.m.
This is insane ,stab 2 people and get probation
Wolf's Bane
Fri, Nov 4, 2011 : 12:54 p.m.
I bet he had a mommy and daddy pay for one hell of a lawyer!