New Year’s stabbing suspect sentenced

MARQUETTE — The man charged with assault for stabbing another man shortly after the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Marquette was given his sentence Friday in Marquette County Circuit Court.

26–year–old Casey Kallio was sentenced to two years of probation and one year in jail. Three months of his jail time will be deferred until the end of his probation period. He was also given credit for time served.

In his sentencing argument, defense attorney Derek Swajanen cited Kallio’s lack of a criminal history and the fact that he has been seeking treatment for apparent PTSD symptoms experienced after a tour with the National Guard in Afghanistan as reasons Kallio should be given a shorter sentence.

“I don’t think that this court will ever see Mr. Kallio in front of it again,” Swajanen said. “The night in question, as was stated in the pre–sentence report, is clearly out of character.”

“I’m really sorry for what happened that night,” said Kallio. “I don’t know what…I don’t know what happened. I feel really bad. He…nobody deserves that.”

Judge Jennifer Mazzuchi took these factors into consideration when deciding on a jail sentence over prison for Kallio, but before delivering the sentence, she emphasized the seriousness of the offense.

“There was real and significant potential for this to be a death case, and I think that that fact has to be recognized when we look at the potential for other violent behavior,” Mazzuchi said.

The sentence was delivered as part of a plea agreement in which Kallio pleaded no contest to the charge of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder.