Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The streets have always been filled with barbarians, it is just now that people have found out ways to make money from putting people in prison, so they've been working on getting better at finding and pressing the fear button of these barbarians which turns off logic altogether and the cries for blood get louder and the temples fill with gold.
Yup. I think this pedophile thing is hyped up by the news (it IS a real problem of course, but still) to get people to support the expansion of the prison industry. Same with the anti-bullying movement, IMO it's a ploy by the prison industry to encourage people to support putting children behind bars. That's capitalism for ya, always about the impulse and what "feels good" in the moment, and of course in the moment revenge feels a lot better than forgiveness because forgiveness takes time!
Revenge is not supposed to be the purpose of prison time. Ten years is not a light sentence by any means, and it seems that the length of the sentence is not really the issue here anyway, people are just angry that this sort of thing occurred in the first place.
I'm not going to pretend that I know what is an appropriate amount of time to spend in prision for this sort of thing, but probally for me, as a father, if this sort of thing happened to my daughter, I'm still going to be angry, even after ten years, so this guy's life would certainly be in jeopardy outside the prison walls.
I didn't phrase my comment very well. I meant if he wasn't the judge in this case, but rather the child's parent (or other relative). But you're right, revenge shouldn't be the purpose of the sentence.
In terms of passing on ones genetic information it is worse for someones 18 year old child to be killed (before having children) than their 10 year old to be molested.
I was thinking how maybe the reason people consider murder a less serious offense than molestation is because murder has a deleterious effect on one's genetic heritage that can be "replaced" by having more offspring while a rapist can potentially "contaminate" the gene pool for many generations. I'm talking from a Dawkins "Selfish Gene" perspective, not a moral one. Personally I don't agree. I think people are oddly hung up about sexual issues. But that is evolution in action. I find it odd that people find murder to be a minor crime in comparison.
A district attorney cannot appeal a sentence just for being too lenient, unless it was illegally imposed in some other way. Only the convicted can appeal a sentence, for being excessive.
It is not that the sentence is too lenient, but illegal. The judge has no discretion on the sentence. Superior Court judges do not decide issues of constitutionality, that is for the state Supreme Court or a federal court to decide.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mack Knife
Whoa, what happened to second chances, expunged felony records and all that?
He can get a second chance after he has served the required part of his 25 year sentence. In CA that could be as little as 13 years of a 25 year sentence or 6 years or less if the 10 year sentence sticks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnieA
Two very on point posts...... I doubt he will be recalled or not voted in next time unless there is a ground swell of protest. People are sheep and really don't pay much attention to this kind of misconduct unless it directly effects them. imo.
I live half of my time in Orange County and I say there is a high likelihood that Judge Kelly will be recalled.
Quote:
Originally Posted by valsteele
Or maybe he knows more about the case than random people on the Internet do. Let's face it, it's not like he's getting away with it. American prisons are not the cushy resorts vengeful right wingers imagine them to be, they are more akin to a hard labor camp in North Korea. I think ten years of extreme suffering is proportionate to his crime especially considering all of the hatred and shunning he'll receive for the rest of his life even inside prison. 25 to life would be appropriate if he was a murderer.
CA prisons kinda are cushy resorts. 10 years would not begin to cover the damage done to a 3 year old who has been sodomized. There are just no mitigating circumstances that negate that. And a 10 year sentence usually means no more than 6 years served in CA and he already close to one year credit served. He'd be out by the girl's 9th birthday. That just seems wrong.
Which is why the CA legislature mandated 25 years to life for the crime.
Quote:
Originally Posted by budlight
What does this have to do with right wing left wing? This guy will be in protective custody like all sex offenders. I am sure this will ease your guilt over some pedophile getting assaulted in prison. Not sure why you are so worried about a pedophile being hated and shunned anyway. Seems like he earned that.
Not sure where you from but CA doesn't have administrative segregation except in very limited circumstances and and this case is not one of them.
As to right wing/left wing, he is a Gray Davis appointee. Nuf' said.
Quote:
Originally Posted by valsteele
So you're saying if he chose to rape an adult woman instead, that would be somewhat more acceptable? I don't think the age of a victim means that the crime matters more. Besides, it's the justice system, not the punishment system. I think the judge and jury know more about the case than any of us do. I'm sick of people placing children and old people on a pedestal. A 30 year old can be just as helpless and scared against an attacker as a kid or a grandma. It's just ageism.
It is not putting them on a pedestal, but recognizing the special vulnerability of a very young child or the elderly. Yes a 30 year old can be just as vulnerable, but you have to write laws to the norm, not the exception.
You may not think the age of the victim is relevant, but thank goodness everyone else does.
Quote:
Originally Posted by valsteele
Honestly I find that sort of scary that parents are so vengeful. I hope if I become a parent, my trust and compassion for others does not diminish....
I find it scary people can be so lost and confused.
Of course it is different when it is your kid. Because you do not have kids, you have no frame of reference.
Yup. I think this pedophile thing is hyped up by the news (it IS a real problem of course, but still) to get people to support the expansion of the prison industry. Same with the anti-bullying movement, IMO it's a ploy by the prison industry to encourage people to support putting children behind bars. That's capitalism for ya, always about the impulse and what "feels good" in the moment, and of course in the moment revenge feels a lot better than forgiveness because forgiveness takes time!
I don't support molesters at all. I think they are scumbags, but I'm not in favor of going Hitler on them either. I don't support the physical elimination of an entire group of people nor do I support letting other violent criminals be judge, jury and executioner. I am a left winger and I strongly believe in human rights and it disgusts me that people are so bloodthirsty in this day and age. People are hypocrites. Criminals should be punished reasonably, meaning not "let off the hook" but also treated humanely. Norway has the right idea.
Honestly, for the most part I'm pretty non-violent and will generally take the high road on most things. I also believe in second chances for a lot of crimes, whereas there are folks on here who think drug users and dealers should be executed. Go check out the various marijuana threads on these forums! In the case of pedophiles....sorrry but they are about as inhuman and salvage as it gets! I have no sympathy for them for any consequences that they receive! We all have our thresholds when it comes to tolerance, and when it comes to pedophiles, rapists, and cold blooded murderers (in other words if you take someone's life it damn well better be a good reason like self defense, or maybe an accident) I have no tolerance for them! If these types of people valued the lives of others or their own lives they wouldn't partake in these type criminal acts!
I was thinking how maybe the reason people consider murder a less serious offense than molestation is because murder has a deleterious effect on one's genetic heritage that can be "replaced" by having more offspring while a rapist can potentially "contaminate" the gene pool for many generations. I'm talking from a Dawkins "Selfish Gene" perspective, not a moral one. Personally I don't agree. I think people are oddly hung up about sexual issues. But that is evolution in action. I find it odd that people find murder to be a minor crime in comparison.
I completely agree with the last sentence. From a natural selection perspective it is much more favorable for offspring to have one offspring with an unfavorable mate (rapist) than for that offspring to be dead.
Honestly, for the most part I'm pretty non-violent and will generally take the high road on most things. I also believe in second chances for a lot of crimes, whereas there are folks on here who think drug users and dealers should be executed. Go check out the various marijuana threads on these forums! In the case of pedophiles....sorrry but they are about as inhuman and salvage as it gets! I have no sympathy for them for any consequences that they receive! We all have our thresholds when it comes to tolerance, and when it comes to pedophiles, rapists, and cold blooded murderers (in other words if you take someone's life it damn well better be a good reason like self defense, or maybe an accident) I have no tolerance for them! If these types of people valued the lives of others or their own lives they wouldn't partake in these type criminal acts!
So you think it's worse for a creepy old dude to touch a kid's penis than for someone to get drunk and get in their car and kill a couple of people?
Yup. I think this pedophile thing is hyped up by the news (it IS a real problem of course, but still) to get people to support the expansion of the prison industry. Same with the anti-bullying movement, IMO it's a ploy by the prison industry to encourage people to support putting children behind bars. That's capitalism for ya, always about the impulse and what "feels good" in the moment, and of course in the moment revenge feels a lot better than forgiveness because forgiveness takes time!
But still??????
There are no words.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
