Gunman gets 15-year prison sentence in Leland shooting – Shaw Local

A Sandwich man was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison for shooting a Leland woman, who survived.

Jon M. Hurtig, 30, appeared in La Salle County Circuit Court for sentencing on one count of aggravated battery with a firearm, a class blind after prosecutors agreed to limit their sentencing recommendation to no more than 20 years.

When offered the opportunity to speak, Hurtig stood up and apologized to the victim for his actions.

“I feel like I’m not the same person I used to be,” Hurtig told Judge Cynthia M. Raccuglia.

The judge acknowledged some mitigating factors, including Hurtig's proven drug and alcohol problems, but imposed a sentence well above the six-year minimum requested by Hurtig and his lawyer.

The victim told police she and Hurtig were arguing Oct. 24 at her residence. Hurtig opted for a .9mm pistol and fired a shot that struck her as she tried to flee. The victim survived the attack but had to be hospitalized.

Hurtig then dragged her inside the residence, an act witnessed by a neighbor who heard the gunshot. Hurtig later sat down for an interview and admitted to shooting.

During Thursday's sentencing hearing, La Salle County Deputy Public Defender Doug Kramarsic urged the judge to consider that Hurtig took responsibility for his actions, as he pleaded guilty and had subsequently participated in counseling sessions while incarcerated.

Kramarsic also pointed out that Hurtig's criminal history, while not short, consisted largely of drug offenses and not crimes against people.

“He’s not a violent person,” Kramarsic said. “This is a one-time event.”

But Assistant La Salle County Prosecutor Laura Hall asked for 20 years in prison, citing several aggravating factors.

The victim was shot in broad daylight in a residential area where others could have been shot and killed. Hurtig, she said, showed a lack of concern for the victim when he dragged her, injured, to the house, then went to retrieve the gun, after which the victim fled .

Hall also argued that Hurtig's criminal record was long, dating back to a cannabis offense when he was a minor, and that as a convicted felon he had no reason to possess or use a firearm.

“You can’t run around shooting people,” Hall said.

The judge agreed. Raccuglia said simply possessing the gun overcame most of the mitigating factors.

“You should not have had a gun, let alone used it,” the judge ruled, later adding: “You were given the opportunity to get help and you are not there.” not arrived. »

Hurtig's prison sentence is subject to the state's Truth in Sentencing law, requiring certain criminals to serve 85 percent of their sentence. With about 8 1/2 months credit for time served, he could be released in 12 years.