Joanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced Friday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington for defacing “Little Dancer Aged Fourteen,” a wax sculpture created by Edgar Degas that was completed in 1881.
In addition to her prison time, the judge ordered Smith to serve two years of supervised release, 150 hours of community service, and she must pay for the damage to the exhibit.
JTN says 'prison,' quoting the DoJ release, but usually any sentence under a year is served in a jail rather than a prison. Smith pled out to get a lighter sentence. Her partner in this crime, Tim Martin, will go to trial in August on a felony conspiracy count as well as the same charge to which Smith pled guilty if he doesn't reach a plea agreement.
Let's hope that these consequences will have an impact on these tactics. If not, perhaps bystanders will feel compelled to provide their own disincentives.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member