[TN] Deputy Brefini's domestic-violence-on-steroids plea bargain.

Tennessee
April 2006
U.S. Marine Corps reservist, Knox County Deputy Eric Brefini – who admits he was on steroids - got mad after his wife went shopping, told her she spent too much money, grabbed her around her throat (Held her? Choked her?), and amongst whatever else happened that day last month, wouldn’t let her leave the house. A few days later he took her cel phone & car keys to keep her again from leaving. His wife says that he assaulted her on several different occasions, threatened to kill her, and that his holding her in the house lasted for nine hours. (They had to be long hours if someone has told you that they will or could kill you.) He was arrested, went to jail under an order that he be held for “a minimum of 12 hours,” a $30,000 bond was set – then slashed by a special judge (he knew the regular ones) in a “specially-called hearing” to $5,000. The bond was slashed even though he avoided revealing in the paperwork how much he makes. It was slashed even though the prosecuting attorney brought it to the court’s attention concern that Brefini had been “acting strangely,” the impact of steroids, and that Deputy Brefini was on a hunger strike. (Brefini denied it was a hunger strike but did admit he hadn’t eaten in eight days.) Still pulling a full check, Brefini said he didn't have enough money for an attorney, so a court-appointed attorney was assigned him for a $50.00 fee. (Kind of goes back to telling his wife she spends too much money doesn’t it?) Yesterday in exchange for having the false imprisonment charge dropped he pled guilty to the domestic assault charge. He got 11 months 29 days, but you know how it is – he’ll serve that as probation with anger management and drug abuse classes.

May all be safe.