Prison Guard Avoids Conviction for Road Rage Incident Involving Weapon

A prison guard accused of threatening a truck driver on a highway with his personal weapon has concluded his legal proceedings in Jerusalem's Magistrate Court without a conviction. The judge approved a plea deal where the guard admitted to the lesser charge of disorderly conduct in a public place, resulting in a sentence of 80 hours of community service.

The original indictment alleged that in April 2025, the guard was driving with his family on Highway 90 when he overtook a truck near the Tzukim Dragot checkpoint. He then allegedly drove slowly and braked suddenly multiple times, prompting the truck driver to overtake him. Subsequently, the guard reportedly overtook the truck again, brandished his personal weapon, and ordered the driver to pull over, intending to frighten or provoke him. The prosecution had initially considered seeking a jail sentence.

However, following negotiations between the defense attorney and the police prosecution, the indictment was amended. While the descriptions of slow driving and sudden braking remained, the allegation of brandishing his personal weapon was changed to "an object resembling a weapon." The charge was consequently altered from threats to disorderly conduct in a public place. Despite this, the factual account still stated he threatened the driver through his behavior.

During the hearing, the prosecution confirmed the plea agreement: the guard would plead guilty to the amended indictment, his guilt would be established, and the parties agreed to conclude the case without a conviction and with 80 hours of community service. Both sides noted the guard's clean criminal record and requested the court uphold the agreement.

Judge Keti Tsvitkov Dorfman acknowledged the guard committed the offense as per the amended indictment but deemed it an unusual incident in his life. She found the parties' agreement on a rehabilitative and educational punishment of community service to be reasonable and appropriate. The judge approved the deal, ordered the probation service to formulate a community service plan, and warned that failure to complete the hours could lead to a new sentencing.