It almost seems like piling on to comment on this case which has made national headlines. But here goes. Going back to at least 1997, Edmund Aviv of 887 Trebisky Road engaged in a pattern of harassing his next door neighbors. Why? Because the Prughs, a white couple, had adopted disabled children who happen to be black. He spat on the mother (legally that’s assault), called her “monkey momma”, built a contraption to spew kerosene laced air toward their house (because he didn’t like the April-Fresh smell of Downy that came from the Prugh’s house), smeared dog crap on their car and wheelchair ramp, and cut down shrubbery in their yard.
The Prughs took Aviv to court at least four times. Yet this jerk continued his disgusting behavior. South Euclid’s Judge Gayle Williams-Byers was fed up enough to sentence Aviv to 100 hours of community service, anger management classes, counselling at the Diversity Center of Cleveland, 15 days in jail, and 5 hours holding the sign as seen at this link. It remains to be seen whether Aviv will change his behavior in the long term. But at least the judge gave him the good sound spanking he’s so richly deserved.
For those who think this sentence was too harsh, you should go to the South Euclid court’s website and look through Aviv's prior case history.
1997: Aggravated menacing - fined $250 and suspended 60-day sentence.
1999: Disorderly Conduct - fined $200.
2011: Destruction of neighbor's property (trees) - fined $200.
The above doesn’t include a case for curfew violation which may be related to a previous sentence, and running 49 in a 35 zone that appears unrelated to this case.
It's obvious that the piddling sentences that were passed down by the previous judge were ineffective. Edmund Aviv continued his pattern of sick behavior. There comes a time when you have to say "enough." Judge Williams-Byers has said just that. I think her sentence was appropriate. Back in the founders' day, this d-bag would have been put in the stockade with tomatoes thrown at him by an angry crowd. So by those standards the sentence seems pretty lenient. I'm sure that neighborhood will become a lot more pleasant while Aviv serves his time in jail.
When I look at this creep’s mug, I'm reminded of the dearly departed John Demjanjuk. But with hair. Aviv’s as much of an embarrassment to South Euclid as Demjanjuk was to Seven Hills. Maybe more since there are plenty in Seven Hills who still defend Ivan the Terrible. And that’s why we name Edmund Aviv Douchebag for 2014.
