Posted on 06/19/2006 7:20:18 PM PDT by Graybeard58
This will be interesting to follow.
Ah, yeah. I remember this story. Aitken plead no contest? Good, then there is no practical reason to keep Hahn in play.
Hold on, I'll link you to the old thread. I'll ping up some people that were on that thread, while I'm at it.
if there is ever a reason for a "do-over" on the third strike, this is it.
I hope it's a true turning point for him.
one we've talked about....
Criminals have code. You can go to jail for being a thief, a drug dealer, assault and battery, cop killer, etc but do not molest children.
Frankly this guy is a lowlife who steals from other people and cannot seem to get it that it's wrong. I don't see any reason to give him life but ten years is about right.
Just my 1/50 dollar.
Why not put him in "Club Fed" ? That way, when the Enron gang arrives, they'll discover what it feels like to be the one getting robbed.
Full Disclosure: On second thought, that won't work. The Enron folks should go to Leavenworth or share cells in Gitmo.
Cheers!
Throw him in a deep, dark, dank cell.
I'm puzzled by the nonchalant attitude toward residential burglary. Perhaps those who find it no big deal have never suffered one.
In addition, I personally have known of two people who were "just burglars" until one of them came across a resident who was at home during one robbery and killed him and the other killed a child and injured many in a car accident when he fled from the police. Burglary is a serious crime, and this defense attorney's ridiculous statement that this guy is not a career criminal demonstrates once again the idiocy in the judicial system that frustrates voters so much that they vote for three strikes laws. The criminals who commit the small crimes many times become the ones who commit the more serious crimes. Three felonies equals being a career criminal, as far as this voter is concerned.
Why should he receive leniency for reacting in a way that should just be natural. Who in their right mind would not immediately turn over pictures of an adult molesting a child? Are we so jaded that we must reward someone for doing their human duty?
I'm pretty much a hard nose when it comes to criminals; always been for the death penalty when it's clear the person did it, BIG supporter of that Sherrif in Arizona who keeps cons in tents, don't like early parole, etc. But this guy, I don't know. I don't know that it's not a bad idea to give him one break, telling him that this won't be counted as his third strike, and putting him back in rehab one last time, and make it clear to him that if he breaks the law one more time, if he steals so much as a fork from a restaurant, that's strike three and he's done, for life without parole. I can see doing that, considering the fact he's saved many children the life long scars of being molested. I can see doing that.
Only reason I consider that is because he never physically hurt anyone in any of his crimes. That makes a big difference with me in just this one case. If he had ever clocked some old lady on the head or beat up some guy and his kids and then robbed him, I wouldn't be for cutting him a break.
I agree totally with your post. Yeah, have him do some time for theft, get him back into drug rehab, but a life sentence is too harsh...especially when you consider that most molesters end up walking the streets after a few short years in prison looking for fresh victims to terrorize.
This guy didn't have to send the pics to the police, but he knew right from wrong...at least in this situation. If anyone deserves a break, it's this guy. If he blows it again, well, then throw the book at him. It's a sad story. My heart goes out to that toddler. If it were my child, I'd sign the petition to help him out. After that, it would be up to him to get his life together.
I sure understand where you're coming from, but most criminals don't posess that kind of decency or moral compass that most of us do. So it was pretty unusual for him to send those pictures to the police I think. I would imagine most criminals wouldn't care. I don't know it's a tough scenario. The only reason I'd even consider leniency on his third strike is because he never harmed anyone in any of the thefts he committed. I don't know. I can maybe see cutting him a break for this one time, but then sending him to rehab and having him on probation for a few years, and if he breaks any law again, even just one, it's curtains for him, life without parole. When someone like that that is a career criminal, finally does something right, rewarding that can turn someone around. It does work sometimes.
It would be nice to see 20 years from now that maybe he really got a hold of this in his head and turned his life around and started a family, got a job, and was a productive member of society finally, a good example to the rest of the criminals. Longshot I know, but sometimes longshots pay off. Rare, but sometimes. I guess I'm having an uncharacteristic optomist moment here. The fact he did a big thing that helped that little girl and other kids that would have been abused just makes a difference with me.
I feel conflicted though because this is the first time I've ever felt led to suggest leniency for a definite criminal that did do the crime. But I keep thinking of that girl that would STILL be being molested if not for him, and beyond that, there WOULD BE OTHER KIDS that that scum bag would molest after or during that little girl. Might be others that he was molesting at the same time that weren't pictured with the pictures of that girl. And statistically, there were likely others before that girl. Certainly would be more after her IF he hadn't been caught thanks to Hahn. That just makes a BIG difference in my mind. This is the only time I've ever felt a slap on the wrist was appropriate, but woe be to him if he blows this chance after being cut a BIG BREAK, and I was the Judge or DA. ;|
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