Short takes: Misguided decisions in manslaughter case, ‘historic’ frat house (Editorial Board Opinion)

We’re catching up with some news that broke over the past few weeks while the editorial board was focused on the 2024 elections.
Mercy for the defendant won out over justice for the victim when Onondaga County Court Judge Ted Limpert gave no jail time to a 19-year-old driver who hit and killed a man while street racing in downtown Syracuse.
Jermaine Sterling, 46, had the traffic light in his favor that night and was turning his electric bike into the intersection of Erie Boulevard East and Catherine Street. He was struck by a car going 70 mph, suffering “gruesome” injuries that later proved to be fatal.
The driver of the car, 19-year-old Joshua Shultes, was racing a stranger in another car down Erie Boulevard when he struck Sterling, prosecutor Frank Pelosi told the court. He recommended three to nine years in prison because the defendant’s recklessness cost a man his life.
Shultes remained at the scene, cooperated with police and was not intoxicated. Those factors, and the defendant’s remorse, persuaded Limpert to give Shultes five years of probation at his sentencing on Oct. 23.
“I was stunned,” Pelosi said of the judge’s decision. So was Shultes, who told the court, “I don’t deserve it.” Sterling’s 18-year-old daughter, Precious, was outraged that her father’s life was worth so little.
We agree. While Limpert’s leniency gives Shultes an opportunity to change and move on with his life, Sterling doesn’t get a do-over. His daughter must carry on without a father.
Judges shouldn’t need to be reminded that punishment is not an end in itself. Serious consequences are meant to deter others from engaging in similar conduct. Reckless drivers now might believe they can commit manslaughter and avoid jail if they show the proper amount of cooperation and remorse. Think of that the next time a reckless driver zooms by you (or your parent or spouse or teenage kid) at 90 mph on Interstate 690.
As for Judge Limpert, this slap on the wrist from the editorial board is likely to be the only accountability he will face for this wrong-headed decision. The judge has eight years remaining on the 10-year term voters gave him in 2022, which will take him past mandatory retirement age.
We hope, however, Judge Limpert will think twice the next time he faces a case like this.
The Syracuse Common Council brought the matter of the mansion at 727 Comstock Ave. to its illogical conclusion last month.
Councilors voted unanimously Oct. 29 to designate the former fraternity house as a locally protected site. That means the building’s owner, Syracuse University, would have to petition the city’s historic preservation board before making any changes or seeking to demolish the building.
The university bought the building with the intention to demolish it as part of a plan to build a new dorm behind it on Ostrom Avenue. After a hue and cry, SU scaled back its plans and withdrew its application to tear it down.
The editorial board agreed with the university that the mansion had lost its historic integrity during the 100 years it was a fraternity house. But its efforts to oppose historic designation failed, and the council’s vote to protect it puts an end to the fight.
It’s a pyrrhic victory for the city, preservationists and neighborhood residents. While they can prevent SU from tearing down the house, they can’t force SU to renovate it. Money spent by SU or some other investor would be better spent on any other dwelling in the city.
For the foreseeable future, “historic” is just another adjective to describe 727 Comstock, alongside vacant, deteriorating and without purpose.
Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our mission statement. Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Trish LaMonte and Marie Morelli.
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