Dad found guilty of misdemeanor battery in beating of 4-year-old daughter (Elgin, Illinois)

Dad TERRY BARNHILL has been found guilty of domestic battery in the beating of his 4-year-old daughter. I don't know why the word "spanking" is even used here--hitting somebody with a leather belt until they are black-and-blue is a "beating." One open-handed swat on the behind is a "spanking" (not that I approve of that either).

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-belt-beating-23-oct23,0,7464130.story

Elgin man is found guilty of spanking his 4-year-old
Daughter was black-and-blue from swats with a leather belt
Tribune staff report

October 23, 2009

An Elgin man was found guilty Thursday of misdemeanor battery for spanking his 4-year-old daughter black-and-blue with a leather belt, but he was acquitted on a more serious charge. Kane County Circuit Judge T. Jordan Gallagher found Terry Barnhill, 35, not guilty of felony aggravated battery but found him guilty of domestic battery. "I'm not saying parents shouldn't be able to spank their kids, but this went far beyond discipline," Gallagher said. Barnhill's daughter, now 5, testified that her father had spanked her for misbehaving on Oct. 5, 2008.