Guy Pistol-Whips Wife, Gets Elected Mayor Anyway

BLACK HAWK, Colo. -- A former city councilman in Black Hawk, Colo., who pleaded guilty last week to pistol-whipping his wife was sworn in Wednesday as town mayor.

David Spellman entered the guilty plea to felony menacing and third-degree assault charges after police said he hit his wife in the head several times with a .380-caliber handgun and fired three shots, the Rocky Mountain News reported in its Wednesday editions.

The funny thing is, many people in the town were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because he had no history of assault... well, except for the assault on his wife.

There are two interesting quotes from the article:

"We don't think it detracts from his ability to be mayor, and will probably, in the long run, make him a better human being," said Ford.

And:

Spellman's election by the six-member City Council came after the death last month of Kathern Eccker, who had served as mayor for the past 15 years.

We can only wonder if she was pistol-whipped.