Businessman Who Slapped Crying Toddler On Delta Flight Sentenced To Federal Prison

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**Frazzled**

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/joe-rickey-hundley-sentenced-698432

Businessman Who Slapped Crying Toddler On Delta Flight Sentenced To Federal PrisonComments()
Share TweetThe businessman who last year slapped a crying toddler in the face on a Delta Air Lines flight--after using a racial slur when demanding that the child’s mother silence him--was sentenced today to eight months in federal prison.

Joe Rickey Hundley, 61, was arrested following last February’s incident aboard a plane heading from Minnesota to Georgia.

According to an FBI affidavit, Jessica Bennett’s 19-month-old son Jonah (seen at right) began to cry as the aircraft began its descent into Atlanta. Bennett told investigators that her child was in distress “due to the altitude change.”

Hundley, who appeared intoxicated, was seated next to Bennett (whose son was on her lap). As the child cried, Hundley demanded that Bennett “shut that [see forum posting rules] baby up.” He then “turned around and slapped” the toddler in the face, leaving Jonah with a scratch below his right eye.

In October, Hundley pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge. While prosecutors recommended a six-month prison term, a federal magistrate today opted for a harsher sentence due to Hundley’s prior conviction for assaulting a girlfriend.

Hundley, pictured at left, apologized to Bennett during the sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. Bennett told the court that she considered Hundley a “bully” who chose to “unleash his bigotry” against a woman with a young child.

**filbert**

Good.

**Steve steveson**

Sounds like he got what he deserved.

**Alfndrate**

6 months?! BAH! Looks like he just got a slap on the wrists.

**gorgon**

The biggest shocker here is that a guy named Joe Rickey Hundley could be an abusive racist.

**timetowaste85**

At least he's in jail. He didn't kill anyone, so he doesn't deserve life in prison. Hopefully 6 months teaches him a good lesson. If it doesn't, then string him up.

**Alfndrate**

Why didn't the guy just claim Affluenza?

**kirsanth**

Alfndrate wrote:
6 months?! BAH! Looks like he just got a slap on the wrists.

Should it have been his face?

Randomly, he was also fired from his job.

**kronk**

6 months in prison and fired from his job.

Sounds about right.

**Alfndrate**

Fired from his job? Okay, I can deal with that.

**curran12**

I thought it was 8 months. Either way, good.

**Dreadclaw69**

He is lucky the mother didn't decide to tear him a new one

**Frazzled**

I think they were in descent at the time. The article is scant i what happened after.

I know She Who Must Be Obeyed would have pulled a Lecter and just bit his face off. I think if it were my baby I'd literally beat you until people pulled me off (if any).

**Seaward**

Alfndrate wrote:
Why didn't the guy just claim Affluenza?

He was flying coach.

**notprop**

Frazzled wrote:
......... I think if it were my baby I'd literally beat you until people pulled me off (if any).

I'm not sure beating someone is the best way of getting pulled off?

A romantic meal or $50 might be a better bet.

**Ouze**

curran12 wrote:
I thought it was 8 months.

It was. The prosecutor asked for 6, but the judge opted for 8 in light of his previous assault conviction.

**LuciusAR**

Fine I guess, but only if parents who allow their children to cry on planes in the first place get 12 months in jail.

**Frazzled**

notprop wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
......... I think if it were my baby I'd literally beat you until people pulled me off (if any).

I'm not sure beating someone is the best way of getting pulled off?

A romantic meal or $50 might be a better bet.

**hotsauceman1**

LuciusAR wrote:
Fine I guess, but only if parents who allow their children to cry on planes in the first place get 12 months in jail.

I dont thinkk parents with kids under 3 should even be allowedd on any form of transportation that isnt their car. Seriously, Im on the train trying to read, please keep your kid quiet

**Hulksmash**

Get headphones? Not sure why your reading is more important than the person with the child's traveling. Granted I dislike when children cry when I fly but it happens. The only time I get discriminatory based on age is at places like the movies.

**Ahtman**

Seaward wrote:
Alfndrate wrote:
Why didn't the guy just claim Affluenza?

He was flying coach.

Well then prison should be a breeze.

**Frazzled**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
LuciusAR wrote:
Fine I guess, but only if parents who allow their children to cry on planes in the first place get 12 months in jail.

I dont thinkk parents with kids under 3 should even be allowedd on any form of transportation that isnt their car. Seriously, Im on the train trying to read, please keep your kid quiet

Well, considering I don't think teenagers should be allowed to talk or beon public transport either, I guess we could agree to both at the same time.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Ahtman wrote:
Seaward wrote:
Alfndrate wrote:
Why didn't the guy just claim Affluenza?

He was flying coach.

Well then prison should be a breeze.

Indeed, many would view prison as a step up from coach class...

**gorgon**

After you become a parent, you realize how young people without kids need to get over themselves and their apparent need for silence and quiet reflection every place they go. There are places where young children shouldn't be. Otherwise, deal with it like the adult you claim to be.

For one thing, you were likely a miserable, awful, screaming brat yourself at times as a young child, and other people were tolerant with you. It's payback time now.

For another thing, who's to say that some of you aren't more annoying than the young children?

**Relapse**

Something that got left out here is his son had committed suicide and he was coming back from the funeral. Not to defend what he did, but it puts it in a bit of a different light.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/01/06/man-who-slapped-baby-on-plane-gets-8-months-in-prison/

**MrDwhitey**

That's fair, it makes what he did more "understandable" (and it's still pretty mental, I mean, seriously, slapping a baby), but still completely unacceptable.

Something that amuses me, is when people seem to think "I can understand this guy snapping" means "I agree with what he did".

**Relapse**

MrDwhitey wrote:
That's fair, it makes what he did more "understandable" (and it's still pretty mental, I mean, seriously, slapping a baby), but still completely unacceptable.

Something that amuses me, is when people seem to think "I can understand this guy snapping" means "I agree with what he did".

By his picture, he does indeed look like he enjoys tipping more than a few. Not the most stable of types since he's an alcoholic.

**gossipmeng**

I don't like the name Jonah.

**Co'tor Shas**

gossipmeng wrote:
I don't like the name Jonah.

Of all the things you could have said you chose that... *sigh*

**Mr Hyena**

If their parents cannot control them, very young children should be either barred from long-haul travel if it can harm the travel experience of other passengers....or subject them to the save travel conditions as animals.

**d-usa**

When I flew to Europe a few years ago we had a crying baby on our plane. The parents were walking up and down the aisle with it and clearly trying to make it more comfortable and help it go to sleep. You could see by their faces that they felt very bad about the amount the baby crying.

Some guy a couple rows behind me kept on calling the flight attendant asking her angrily "Isn't there anything you guys can do about that!" I'm sure the pilot will just pull this plane over in the middle of the air to give that baby a talking to sir

.

Of course this is me when I listen to people that children should not be able to see their extended families because the fact that they are children might make it hard for you to read a book: