October 21, 2009

Top of the morning

Posted at 6:46 AM by Chris Fitzsimon

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The controversy continues about a recent court ruling that requires the state to free 20 inmates convicted of violent crimes and sentenced to life in the early 1970s.

Politicians are scrambling to use the case for political gain, each trying to be more outraged than the next. There is legitimate cause for concern but very little explanation of how the court reached its decision and what it really means.

Scott Mooneyham of the Insider and Capital Press Association has written one of the few rational columns about the whole episode and it is worth reading.

No one would argue that the 20 are anything approaching solid citizens. All committed terrible crimes, murder or rape. Seven were originally sent to death row. At least three raped minors. But all 20 also have served at least 30 years in prison.

….Truth be told, prisons release others convicted of horrible crimes after they’ve served long sentences. They just aren’t released en masse, and aren’t the subject of high-profile appellate court cases.

 But high-profile cases about crime are just too hard for politicians to resist.

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