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To the editor:
While common sense has been a topic addressed lately by myself and others, I often don't see it in our alleged justice system.
Take the case of the killing of police officer Jonothan Diller by Guy Rivera.
A Queens jury found Rivera guilty of attempted murder and manslaughter, but not murder. Manslaughter refers to an act where killing was not the intention. Attempted murder refers to the intent to kill. Since Diller died, how was the murder only attempted?
Justice is not nearly as swift as injustice. Brooklyn Judge Guy Mangano declared Carl Miller, now 65-years-old, innocent of a 1979 murder he was convicted of. He served 30 years.
Two witnesses described the killer as being 5-foot-9-inches and 150 pounds. Neither of them picked Miller out of a line-up. Miller was 6-foot-1-inch and 174 pounds. He was convicted on the word of a 16-year-old "friend" who was initially a suspect.
In both of these cases, it was not only the system that failed, but the jurors. In each case, 12 people made decisions that made no sense.
Then there's a case that's entirely on the system. 33-year-old gang member Caliph Glean was sentenced to 23 years to life for shooting to death rapper Nick Blixby. Not only can he be released at the age of 56, but he's already done time for attempted murder.
Do lawmakers feel attempted murder should get a lesser sentence so the assailant can get another shot at homicide? Will the legislature ever pass a law that makes a life sentence actually a life sentence? Why are there no life sentences for people who commit heinous crimes short of murder?
Should 33-year-old Anthony Matthews, who kidnapped and tortured his ex-girlfriend for a month, ever be let out of prison?
Richard Warren
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Valete
Criticizing the justice system for inconsistencies in sentencing, particularly in cases of attempted murder, manslaughter, and murder, is a logical approach to an illogical system. We have all witnessed the criminal justice system’s failure to administer punishment that is commensurate with the crime. This raises the question of whether the American justice system is flawed and, if so, whether it can be restructured to ensure that punishment is proportional to the crime.
Wednesday, April 8 Report this
Valete
The American justice system prioritizes intent over the actual outcomes of crimes, resulting in seemingly illogical decisions. The outdated principle of “an eye for an eye” is inadequate and blind justice.
Monday, April 13 Report this