A judge sentenced a juvenile male to probation Tuesday afternoon after he had previously been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter stemming from an April clubhouse party in Germantown. The juvenile was convicted in August of punching 18-year-old Jacob “Jake” Arter during the party until Arter was unconscious.
Other people attending the party eventually drove Arter to HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese where he was subsequently pronounced dead.
During the August trial, the teen testified he had punched Arter in self-defense, saying word got around before the party that Arter “wanted revenge” for a previous fight between the two.
Both boys had been drinking on the night of the party.
The 17-year-old testified he drank about two beers before throwing the fatal punch. Arter had a 0.115 percent blood-alcohol content, which is above the 0.08 percent threshold for a DUI in Illinois, according to a toxicology report.
Judge Ericka Sanders found the defendant guilty. A special prosecutor was brought in on the case as Clinton County State’s Attorney has a conflict of interest. The special prosecutor chose to try the defendant as a minor rather than as an adult. Due to that decision, the defendant could have been held in a juvenile detention center until his 21st birthday.
Following Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Arter’s family said they were satisfied with the judge’s decision.