Soft judges allow criminals to escape just punishment

[molder]

The "softie" judge ruled for the criminal and let Elizabeth Smart's alleged kidnapper off. Anyone could see he was playing her for a sucker and she went right in, eyes wide open. He was obviously acting to create a disturbance; there is no way he did anything else.

Lets make it hard on criminals again and watch the crime rates drop. Then tell the ACLU to go jump in the lake. Lets take control away from these people and regain our court system for the people of this country instead of the criminals and their aides.
http://www.harktheherald.com

 

[Heiroglyph]

Shall we go back to the dark ages of our history when they just locked all the metnally disturbed people in prison and forgot about them?

 

[theeyesoftammyfaye]

he was found incompetent to stand trial. that is absolutely not the same as being let off, and the writer of that short piece absolutely knows it. he has been institutionalised until found capable of standing trial...which, in reality, means he will absolutely never be released. the man is not running around loose, eating burger king and watching tv. he is institutionalised. this has nothing to do with the ACLU, but everything to do with the US constitution. please show me where the ACLU has been involved in this case.

 

[praying]

Shall we go back to the dark ages of our history when they just locked all the metnally disturbed people in prison and forgot about them?

yes.

he was found incompetent to stand trial. that is absolutely not the same as being let off, and the writer of that short piece absolutely knows it. he has been institutionalised until found capable of standing trial...which, in reality, means he will absolutely never be released. the man is not running around loose, eating burger king and watching tv. he is institutionalised. this has nothing to do with the ACLU, but everything to do with the US constitution. please show me where the ACLU has been involved in this case.

Must you be such a stickler for details, we've got an agenda we want pushed, what does it matter that the guy is several cards short of a full deck or if he is institutionalised. These judges must be stopped.

 

[rosenherman]

Shall we go back to the dark ages of our history when they just locked all the metnally disturbed people in prison and forgot about them?

We should lock them up and treat them until they are able to care for themselves and not be a danger to themselves or others. Treatment for mental illness has gone light years beyond "Cukoo's Nest".

 

[Billy Batson]

The "softie" judge ruled for the criminal and let Elizabeth Smart's alleged kidnapper off. Anyone could see he was playing her for a sucker and she went right in, eyes wide open. He was obviously acting to create a disturbance; there is no way he did anything else.

Lets make it hard on criminals again and watch the crime rates drop. Then tell the ACLU to go jump in the lake. Lets take control away from these people and regain our court system for the people of this country instead of the criminals and their aides.
http://www.harktheherald.com

not one part of that article mentions any legal precedent for the opinion expressed. nor does it mention any facts of the case:

for example:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2005/07/27/smart050727.html

Judge Judith Atherton ordered Mitchell, a homeless man and self-described prophet, to be sent to a state mental hospital until he is deemed capable of standing trial.

Justice officials said Mitchell would appear before court again in three months to determine whether his mental state had changed.

see how easy that was? he's been given a de facto life sentence in a mental institution.

 

[trunks2k]

Lets make it hard on criminals again and watch the crime rates drop.

Ummm... Crime HAS been dropping. Violent crime has been dropping since it's peak in 1992. Or at least was until 2000. A quick look for stats didn't turn up any absolute numbers of more recent years, but IIRC, crime has continued to fall since 2000.

http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm

Violent crime in 1992: 1,932,270
Violent crime in 2000: 1,424,289

edit:

Found a better source that goes into 2003: It seems that violent crime fell into 2003, when there was a slight uptick.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/glance/cv2.htm

 

[JPPT1974]

We should lock them up and treat them until they are able to care for themselves and not be a danger to themselves or others. Treatment for mental illness has gone light years beyond "Cukoo's Nest".

That sounds like an good idea!

 

[Harpuia]

he was found incompetent to stand trial. that is absolutely not the same as being let off, and the writer of that short piece absolutely knows it. he has been institutionalised until found capable of standing trial...which, in reality, means he will absolutely never be released. the man is not running around loose, eating burger king and watching tv. he is institutionalised. this has nothing to do with the ACLU, but everything to do with the US constitution. please show me where the ACLU has been involved in this case.

Look at the OP name...

Then look at his threads.

Then you'll see why.

 

[SisterGeoff]

We should lock them up and treat them until they are able to care for themselves and not be a danger to themselves or others. Treatment for mental illness has gone light years beyond "Cukoo's Nest".

Err, that's more or less what happened. If you are found mentally unfit to stand trial you don't walk you get locked up for an infinite period of time.

 

[MadeInOz]

Shall we go back to the dark ages of our history when they just locked all the metnally disturbed people in prison and forgot about them?

I regret to inform you that this does indeed still happen.

 

[rosenherman]

Err, that's more or less what happened. If you are found mentally unfit to stand trial you don't walk you get locked up for an infinite period of time.

I don't mean just criminals, I mean the mentally ill. If they can't take care of themselves it's cruel to leave them out on the street, what a miserable existence.

 

[SisterGeoff]

I don't mean just criminals, I mean the mentally ill. If they can't take care of themselves it's cruel to leave them out on the street, what a miserable existence.

I see what you are saying now, I just assumed it was about those mentally unfit to stand trial given the thread.