Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site pyuxa.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!pyuxww!pyuxa!wetcw From: wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler) Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics Subject: Re: Re: Bastille mentality alive and well in USA Message-ID: <1082@pyuxa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 28-Nov-84 08:28:17 EST Article-I.D.: pyuxa.1082 Posted: Wed Nov 28 08:28:17 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 29-Nov-84 05:19:48 EST References: <3@vax2.fluke.UUCP> <259@spp2.UUCP>, <365@whuxl.UUCP> Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J. Lines: 47 My God, Sevener is certainly naive concerning criminal justice and the law. He tries to make the point that only a very few criminals are released to once again terrorize the local populace. Now I know that Sevener lives, or at least works in Monmouth County, N. J., less than 60 miles from the heart of Manhatten. There are newspapers published every day in this area and I wonder if Mr. Sevener has been reading any of them. Just for starters, the papers featured an incident that was going on over the past three months that tends to blow holes in Sevener's theory. The courts in New York City have a backlog of over 30,000 outstanding warrents for persons who have not bothered to show up in court, having been released from an earlier arrest. The incident involved the local powers that be trying to round up some of those wayward suspects. A scam was set up to intice some of them out of their lairs. This involved sending them letters to tell them they had won a prize and that a Limo would be around to take them to prize headquarters. You can guess where they ended up. There were several other amussing scams used, but the point is is that over 3000 of these characters were apprehended. Now, what happened next? Pay attention Sevener. According to the Manhatten and Bronx DAs offices, over 1500 of these people were back on the street within 24 hours. Within 48 hours, over 2200 were out on the street. Getting to the nitty grittty, the roundup was targeted at the worst offenders. That is, rapists, child molesters, murderers (yes they can get low bail in New York), repeat offenders, and others with serious crimes. All of these people had been let out of the justice net before. Many of them had committed further crimes while out, yet, here they are again, free to repeat their madness on society once again. Is this justice? Sure, the offenders may have been given a liberal dose of what passes for justice, they were detained for a couple of days. But, what about justice for those that have to endure the crimes being committed by these people? What kind of justice is it that puts these slim-balls back on the street to once more prey on the rest of us? Your wrong Sevener, the criminal justice system in this area is lacking in the ability to balance the rights of criminals with the rights of victims. The scales are too heavily weighted in favor of the criminal. I am not arguing the merits of the death penalty here, though I lean in that direction for certain cases. I am just saying that your naive understanding of what criminal justice is all about is enough to gag a maggot. By the way, Sevener, around 20 of those rounded up are from Monmouth County. Do you think you can sleep well knowing that there are some 20 odd people with serious crimes on their rap sheet prowling around the area? T. C. Wheeler