Report: Teen Sentenced In Busch Stadium Laser Pointer Case
Eric Bogard was accused of shining a laser pointer at the field of play during an August St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.
Photos
Just over four months after he was criminally charged in connection with aiming a laser pointer onto the field of play at Busch Stadium, a student at Ladue Horton Watkins High School has reportedly been sentenced in connection with the incident that also led to the resignation of a Mercy Health executive.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Eric Bogard, of Creve Coeur, entered a guilty plea December 14 to a count of disturbing the peace at an athletic event and was sentenced by a St. Louis city municipal court judge to six months probation, 20 hours of community service and ordered to pay the St. Louis Cardinals $500 in costs. The paper reports that the actual charge tied to the use of lasers was dropped.
On August 6, Cardinals Manager Mike Matheny identified Bogard as the culprit behind the incident. Bogard was in Mercy's suite during the game. On August 10, Marie Glancy, a Mercy executive in the suite the night of the game who was uncooperative with authorities during their investigation, resigned her post as the hospital chain's Chief Advocacy Officer.
The Post-Dispatch says the case will be expunged from Bogard's record if he stays out of trouble during the probationary period. While his client did admit to pointing the laser onto the field, Bogard's attorney still contends that the teen was not the only person who brought it to the stadium and got rid of it.
Chris Brooks
10:23 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
This is absurd. Can you please stop writing about this? Leave the kid alone.
Chris DeCook
10:34 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
Who cares??? Move on to something that actually matters and let this kid enjoy being a kid again.
Scott Simon
10:41 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
Who cares? People affected by laser pointing care. Suppose the laser blinded a batter who is then struck in the face or head with a pitch. Would you care then? Maybe. So your summary is make judgement on illegal activity based on the outcome. No harm no foul? If he could get away with that, imagine him or someone else pointing it at a flying aircraft.
James Baer
10:44 am on Friday, January 4, 2013
Laser pointing is a serious offense, no matter where it is done. This has become a major issue with the airline industry. Want to be on one of those flights when the pilot is blinded upon landing?
Bill Kowalski
8:03 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
This young man was arrested because:
1. He did something quite wrong at a public event which potentially could have caused physical harm to a player, and which disrupted an event which many thousands of people had paid to see,
2. When signaled from the dugout by the Cardinals coach to stop, he laughed and kept doing it,
3. Ms. Glancy was hostile and uncooperative when confronted by stadium security.
Tip for the kid: if you want the press to leave you alone, don't act up at a major league baseball game.