Hockey Player Convicted Of Assault

A hockey player's split-second decision led to another player's paralysis, and now a criminal conviction for himself, in this landmark Illinois case.

The 16-year-old hockey player charged with injuring a rival player during a match, leaving him paralyzed, was found guilty Monday of misdemeanor battery.

The player was originally charged with two counts of felony aggravated battery, which could have meant imprisonment until the age of 21.

However, he entered into a plea agreement on a charge of simple battery, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail. Because of his age, reporters were ordered not to use his name.

"There has to be an end to what was otherwise an endless series of painful moments," defense attorney Jeffrey Steinback said.

The Glenbrook North High School student agreed with prosecutors that he used his stick to push New Trier High player Neal Goss into the boards a second after the buzzer sounded during a junior-varsity game in Gurnee on Nov. 3.

Both players were 15 at the time. Goss, also now 16, is paralyzed below the waist and has limited use of his arms. He sat in a wheelchair during Monday's proceedings.

Some sports administrators had feared that the criminal case could affect contact sports.

But prosecutors said state law gives them ample discretion to decide which acts constitute criminal offenses. They contended that the defendant intended to injure the other player, noting that he had hit him on the head with his stick during the final minutes of the game.

Steinback said the game was extremely rough with 16 separate acts that could be described as violent by players on both sides.

The defendant entered a so-called Alford plea, not admitting guilt but agreeing to facts that allowed the judge to then find him guilty.

The prosecutor, Lake County State's Attorney Michael Waller, said the defendant had never been in trouble before and just made "a bad split-second decision in a hockey game."

"I don't think anybody ever thought or intended that anybody should go to prison," Waller said.

Goss' family has filed a civil lawsuit against officials of the Illinois Hockey Officials Association and others. Both families left the court without speaking to reporters.

©2000 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed