Paul Belt, Nevada Democratic Leader, Pleads Guilty To Hitting Son

MINDEN, Nev. — A Nevada Democratic Party leader who pleaded guilty to hitting his teenage son and throwing him on the hood of a car has resigned, according to a letter received Friday by a newspaper.

Paul Belt, the party chairman of Douglas County, said in a letter to the Record-Courier that he resigned his post after his "regrettable actions."

He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a misdemeanor count of domestic battery. He was sentenced to a suspended one-year jail term and ordered to attend counseling.

Belt, 45, was accused of punching his 15-year-old son several times on Oct. 22 when he learned his son was no longer on the boys' junior varsity soccer team.

Witnesses also reported seeing Belt punch and kick his son. Coaches intervened when Belt reportedly threw the boy on the hood of a car.

He told deputies, "I began to yell at my son and lost my cool and punched him with a closed fist about five or six times in his chest, shoulders and back," according to police reports.

In the letter, he apologized to his son, his family and to the people "who had to witness my horrible behavior."

He also said he was not angry at his son.

"It was frustration over a series of incidents with the coaches in a two-week span," Belt wrote.

___

Information from: Gardnerville Record-Courier, http://www.recordcourier.com

Comments

[SweetGirl2X2L]

03:08 PM on 11/09/2009

If Paul Belt is not charged with felony child abuse as a result of this event, then there is in fact no justice in the State of Nevada.

Law enforcemen­t in that state is a joke.

Here's hoping his son has an early opportunit­y to escape that evil place and begin a brighter future elsewhere.

[normathumb]

01:24 PM on 11/09/2009

He should be careful. The kid is almost old enough to exercise his second amendment rights and put a stop to the beatings.

[GalinMcMahon]

09:16 PM on 11/08/2009

Who knows the whole story on which they're passing judgement? How much money did he spend on soccer? My sister paid 2k for my nephew's soccer. Did he pay less?

What are your rules to his freedom to punish his offspring? Why don't people respect the 'choice' of a parent to discipline his child? Should we not be free to make sure our kids grow up properly? Every kid I grew up with who was spanked is now a well-adjus­ted, successful adult. Show me the evidence that spanking makes kids become bad adults.

[pinkyboo]

09:54 AM on 11/09/2009

Punching and kicking is not spanking.

Duh this is abuse plain and simple.

[Socrmom]

11:19 AM on 11/09/2009

The guy says he punched his kid 5 or 6 times with a closed fist because he was mad at the coaches. That's assault.

[GalinMcMahon]

09:44 AM on 11/08/2009

Yes, society should tell parents how to parent and then punish the parent when the child misbehaves­. this country is becoming filled up with a bunch of spoiled wusses. If your kid acts up, it's YOU who is responsibl­e for setting him straight and you should not have to hire a lawyer to do so.

So parents' options are: let your kids run wild or, what, send them to the corner? Seriously?­? that does less mental damage than spanking?

[levibatgirl]

10:21 AM on 11/08/2009

So you give the little ones a swat on the tush for bad behavior and then as the child grows you ratchet it up to full scale be atings?
The kid quit the soccer team for krist's sake.

I hope you don't have any kids.

[Socrmom]

11:21 AM on 11/09/2009

What are you talking about. No one even said the kid misbehaved­. He left the soccer team. Are you writing from prison? I hope so.

[LiberalBuzz]

01:18 AM on 11/08/2009

What a Richard.

[libertyanne]

10:18 PM on 11/07/2009

I don't know how quitting a soccer team could provoke such a reaction. I'ts awful that this child could end up abusing the his own children in the same way.

[tploomis]

08:35 PM on 11/07/2009

This guy is pounding on his son and then claims he wasn't angry? This guy has a serious anger problem, starting with being so out of touch with his feelings that he doesn't know when he is angry.

[pakaal]

08:45 PM on 11/07/2009

Seriously.

[b1rd67]

12:02 PM on 11/09/2009

He didn't say that he wasn't angry... he said that he wasn't angry at his son. It actually might be promising that he is able to recognize that his anger was misdirecte­d. Its the first step anyway...

[wilinot]

07:56 PM on 11/07/2009

What a dog. This man has a serious problem. First, you don't beat your kid for dropping out of a sport. You don't beat your kid period. But , then to beat him in front of the coaches in public place shows the guy really has a Problem with a capital P.

[FR]

06:45 PM on 11/07/2009

Well, I'm glad he resigned -- we don't want his kind, in either party.

But it doesn't let him out of the criminal charges, which he richly deserves.

[FdeBear]

05:43 PM on 11/07/2009

He beat up this kid for what?!

[MelodyCA]

04:16 PM on 11/07/2009

This is not about poltics. This is about an over zealous and obsessed Soccer parent.

I have seen this disgusting behavior countless times. While sports are a great outlet and teach kids alot of great things, a great many parents have gone overboard with it.

[fabricnthreads]

10:49 PM on 11/07/2009

So true. My kids don't even want to play sports. The parents are more competitiv­e than the kids. My girls think it is ridiculous­.

The parents see scholarshi­p money if their kid is scouted. This mind set is driven by paying for college, raising the next Tiger, all the perks and promises, wealth the parents see coming their way.

The chances of any of these high school kids becoming college headliners or pro are slim to none. And I live within miles of an area, Flint Michigan, that at one time, held the honor of producing more profession­al athletes per capita than any other city.

People have to quit living through their children.

[igorz]

03:47 PM on 11/07/2009

The point is NOT that Democrats are saints. The point is that they (as a rule) do not spend their time telling us wha Saints they are (all the while doing such devlish things).

[lisaman]

09:07 PM on 11/07/2009

Nobody ever said democrats are saints and that certainly is NOT the point.

[CaliTLC]

03:14 PM on 11/07/2009

Doesn't he know that teenagers can make you want to hit them BUT YOU SHOULD CONTROL THAT IMPULSE.

[MsLiz]

05:22 PM on 11/07/2009

This boy did not provoke the attack, according to the article. Quitting a soccer team isn't nearly the same as mouthing off to a parent.

[FR]

06:52 PM on 11/07/2009

Besides, kids that age are still fragile emotionall­y. Discipline and guidance are good, unprovoked rage and abuse -- not.

[374662]

02:44 PM on 11/07/2009

He was angry with coaches for unnamed actions over two weeks but then he beats up the son? There is more to this story but hopefully it will be handled privately for the sake of the boy.

[Larkhill]

12:26 PM on 11/07/2009

Assault.

Battery.

Jail.

End of story.