Posted on 06/19/2006 7:20:18 PM PDT by Graybeard58
I'd say that if anyone deserves a break from the three-strikes rule, it is this guy. Give him a few years in jail for the burglaries, then put him through rehab. But make sure he knows that this is a one-time offer and that if he messes up again, he is going away for life.
Simple solution: give him life.
The Governor can pardon him if the guy's a saint.
I'd want to cut him a one-time break. He gave up a truly heinous monster.
He is a career criminal, who knew the rules and broke them anyway. Burglaries cost us millions each year and we all pay for it through higher premiums. People are not all good or all bad. Good people do some bad things, bad people do some good things. It doesn't mean we should not be held accountable. If this guy gets a pardon, should any criminal who does something good, like turning in other bad criminals get a pardon too? Three strikes means he should go to jail for life. I am very glad he turned the guy in, but he should still be accountable for his crimes.
Some people shouldn't reproduce. Just MHO.
Hard call, with burglary and drugs there is always a serious possibility someone could die, and he can't control himself. He did protect a child, maybe 5 years of mandatory rehab and vocational training. Must complete, have job and be clean to be considered for parole. Must stay that way forever.
I agree.
Burglary is a serious crime. It damages peoples lives for a very long time even if they weren't physically injured.
And sooner or later somebody will be home, or come home while he's doing his thing. What then?
His "good deed" was good, but cost him nothing other than a stamp to perform.
Give him donuts or a personal TV for his life term as a reward... But give him life nevertheless. Three felonies (and countless robberies) is a high enough price for society to pay. He knew the stakes when he continued what he was doing. The rest of us deserve no less of the justice system for our own security and well being.
I say turn the third-strike into a "foul ball".
Not a get-out-of-jail-free card, but definitely give some incentive for someone to assist in such a manner on future similar instances... Lighter sentence perhaps, with the understanding that an additional infraction is an automatic "out".
Its interesting to me how the drug legalization folks go on and on about there being no correlation between drug use and crime, but then we get the sob story, "He's clean now." What difference should that make if drugs aren't a causal factor?
This man didn't do a good deed, he did a normal deed. What's the next "good deed" slowing down in a school zone?
So what is the problem? It is that Aitken will see the light of day again. Pedophiles should get life.
Ping
I'd give him another chance.
Thank you. It was a turning point for me.
I ended up doing 7.
I appreciate your kind words. I paroled over a year ago, and am doing well. I will be graduating from college this year, and I am clean, sober, and productive. This case was a major turning point in my life.
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