On May 3, 2013 in Bergen County Criminal Court, a judge sentenced Merle Lee, the man responsible for the brutal attack on James Mohr outside of MetLife Stadium on December 11, 2011, to three years in a New Jersey State Prison following Lee’s plea of guilty to the assault.
The attack left Mohr with several fractures, including his jaw and eye socket, as well as internal bleeding on his brain. He spent a week in the hospital, undergoing a four hour surgery to repair his face, and months recovering at home before being able to return to work and other daily activities.
Lee was initially cited a desk appearance ticket for disorderly conduct, but upon learning of the severity of Mohr’s injuries, police officials raised the charge to aggravated assault and a warrant was issued for Lee’s arrest. He was taken into custody two days following the attack and was indicted by a grand jury.
The judge’s ruling comes as a victory for the Mohr family, who has waited over a year for justice to be served. While the family was not present at the sentencing, the outcome was welcomed with great relief and tears of joy. It is now a closed chapter, and focus can be redirected to James’ ongoing recovery and a celebration of the strides he has made in the process.
Fans Against Violence has followed this case from the beginning, and we are ecstatic to learn of this news. We hope this serves as a lesson to fans everywhere- violence at sporting events can be extremely dangerous, even fatal, and offenders will be held accountable for their actions and poor judgment. This incident caused many people pain, and now a man will lose three years of his life behind bars for his crime. It is never worth it. No one wins. Everyone suffers. Please remember that it is just a game, and we are there to enjoy ourselves, root for our teams and show respect for our fellow man.