John Abbate was convicted in June of felony aggravated battery for the 2007 off-duty beating of Karolina Obrycka, a bartender at Jesse’s Short Stop Inn. The attack on February 19, 2007 was caught on video and circulated on the Internet. The bartender was following the law and procedures by refusing to serve the intoxicated patron. When Abbate was refused additional liquor, he came around the back of the bar and beat bartender Karolina Obrycka, who was seriously injured. Anthony Abbate was also found guilty of hitting a bar customer several times.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge John Fleming sentenced Abbate to a controversial two years of probation. The judge also ordered treatment for alcohol abuse and counseling for anger management. Abbate was also ordered to serve 130 hours of community service.
Abbate a drug test last month — testing positive for opiates, which could include heroin, opium, morphine, codeine, vicodin and other medications. John Abbate previously denied any drug problem.
Anthony Abbate, 41, was ordered to come to court Friday. He as arrested on $40,000 bond, and his father immediately posted bond for his release.
On January 12 2010, Abbate filed a lawsuit challenging his firing by the Chicago Police Board on December 15, 2009. His attorneys filed a petition in Cook County Circuit Court for reversal of Abatte’s firing, claiming the Chicago Police Board made 12 errors in ordering his termination last month. The petition claims that using the infamous videotape in deciding to fire him was one of those errors.
A suit by Karolina Obrycka is pending in federal court.