Peter Braunstein's plea for leniency - N.Y. v. Peter Braunstein

Peter Braunstein's Writings

Plea for Leniency
Braunstein sent this letter to a judge asking for the minimum sentence.
Journals on the Road
In journal entries after his flight from New York, Braunstein writes about life on the run and his 'impatience to die.'
The Manifesto
In a 'manifesto' on his computer, Braunstein writes about his theory of creationism, the hypocrisy of American culture and Anna Wintour's place in the afterlife.

Updated June 15, 2007, 4:06 p.m. ET

Peter Braunstein's plea for leniency

In this letter to Judge Thomas Farber, Peter Braunstein, who was convicted in May of a sex attack on a former colleague, asks for leniency when the judge sentences him Monday on 10 counts related to the attack, including kidnapping, sex abuse and burglary. Braunstein faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life.

In the letter, which Braunstein dictated to a fellow inmate in the jail where he is being held prior to sentencing, he expresses remorse for the incident and blames it on an untreated condition of paranoid schizophrenia. He also urges the judge not to fall prey to the "sensationalist" tabloid coverage of the case in asking for the minimum sentence of 15 years. Braunstein tells the judge that by sentencing him to the minimum, he would be able to seek proper medical treatment for his condition.

(Note: Document quality is the best available, and the last page has been omitted.)