Sometimes you see a story that you just have to share.  This is in our local newspaper today:

A hate crime allegation involving an attack in a Spencerport bar may be heading to trial unexpectedly after the defendant made an inflammatory comment during his sentencing Thursday.

Jesse Parsons, 25, of Spencerport pleaded guilty in September to second-degree assault, a felony, in connection with the March beating of Lance Neve, also of Spencerport, who is gay. Parsons originally had been charged with second-degree assault committed as a hate crime, but the hate-crime piece was dropped as part of a plea agreement.

Neve was attacked March 8 at Snuggery’s Bar. He told Ogden police that he and his partner, Osbert Maldonado, 28, of Rochester, were at the bar when Parsons made continuous anti-gay remarks, then attacked Neve. Neve, then 26, suffered factures of his skull, nose, left eye socket and upper jaw bone, as well as blood on his brain, police said.

Parsons said he did not use gay slurs. His lawyer, Mark Young, said no one other than Maldonado could corroborate Neve’s story.

On Thursday, Parsons was in court to be sentenced to four years in prison and five years of post-release supervision. The plea agreement also ordered Parsons to pay Neve’s medical expenses — upward of $24,000 — and Parsons had to waive his right to an appeal, said Assistant District Attorney Perry Duckles.

Shortly before the sentencing, Judge Richard Keenan gave Neve and Parsons time to speak.

“Lance said that he had sympathy for the defendant and his family,” said Duckles.

But Parsons reportedly said that while he didn’t mean to hurt Neve as badly as he did, Neve deserved it.

Keenan immediately withdrew the plea and told Parsons his case would go to trial for the original charge of second-degree assault committed as a hate crime, which carries a sentence of five to 15 years in prison, Duckles said.

Young said he plans to ask the judge to reconsider the ruling.

Keenan ordered Parsons back in court the first week in December to set a trial date.

Hooray for Judge Keenan!

And finally, Monroe County has decided to NOT pursue an appeal in our case. As it stands for the time being, our case sets precedent in New York State — same-sex marriages legally solemnized outside the state must be recognized as valid.

In support of that, the NY State Insurance Commissioner directed all insurance companies doing business in NY State to either comply with that ruling, or not do business in New York.

It’s not marriage….yet. But it’s a step closer!