A former Streamwood police officer could spend the next five years in prison for a beating caught on a dashboard camera.
But James Mandarino won't find out today as planned.
Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Fecarotta Jr. delayed Mandarino's sentencing until 9:30 a.m. May 31 and granted defense attorney Ed Wanderling more time to file a motion for a whole new trial.
The defense plans to submit more than 80 letters from friends and former colleagues supporting the new trial for Mandarino.
Mandarino was due in a Rolling Meadows court Monday morning where he could receive time behind bars or probation.
Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Fecarotta Jr. convicted Mandarino last month of beating Ronald Bell in the motorist's Streamwood driveway in March 2010.
"Any rational analysis (of the video) will show that the conduct of the defendant was wrong, just plain wrong, unprovoked, unnecessary and unacceptable," the judge wrote in his ruling.
A dash-cam video showed Mandarino pounding Ronald Bell with a metal baton more than a dozen times.
Mandarino's lawyer, Ed Wanderling, argued the officer followed the proper police procedure since Bell and his brother, Stacey, acted aggressively and appeared intoxicated during the traffic stop.
The judge agreed about the actions of Bell and his brother but ruled Mandarino used his baton as a deadly weapon.
