Woman guilty of turkey assult makes tearful apology

This touching story should serve as an inspiration for us all, even after hitting someone in the face with a frozen turkey we can still come together in the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness. We are all brack people.

Plea deal reached in turkey toss case

Aug 15, 2005
BY ALFONSO A. CASTILLO
STAFF WRITER

August 16, 2005

Nine months after a Huntington teenager shattered nearly every bone in Victoria Ruvolo's face with a thrown turkey, she whispered words of consolation in his ear yesterday and stroked his head as he rested it on her shoulder.

The astounding scene of forgiveness took place moments after Ryan Cushing, 18, tearfully pleaded guilty to an assault that almost killed Ruvolo. Then he pleaded for his victim's forgiveness in the Riverhead courtroom, and quickly received it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," a sobbing Cushing told Ruvolo.

"It's OK," she said to him.

The emotional exchange left an impression.

"She has not only recovered remarkably," Suffolk prosecutor Peter Mayer said in court, "but she is a remarkable woman."

Prosecutors agreed to let Cushing plead guilty to second-degree assault. He'll receive 6 months in jail and 5 years' probation in exchange. Cushing once faced a maximum of 25 years, but prosecutors said Ruvolo's compassion sealed the deal.

"It took us a while to conclude that justice would be served in this case," Mayer, chief of the district attorney's major crimes bureau, said before Suffolk County Court Judge Barbara Kahn. But, Mayer said, ultimately Ruvolo "made clear to us that this ... is the kind of punishment and sentence that she would look to as appropriate."

continue reading, although I don't recommend this. . and I posted this story based solely on the mildly amusing title, hey it's a slow day what can I say.