Recently two shamefully short sentences for a young rapist and a young murderer (both white, from "good" families-- and I use that term LOOSELY) have come to my attention.
Surely everyone, especially with a Facebook account, will have heard the atrocious story of Brock Turner, who was convicted of sexual assault upon an unconscious attendee at a Stanford frat party, and was only stopped from doing more (and God-knows-what-else) by the timely intervention of 2 passersby. The sentence recommended in the end by the prosecutor was too short by half-- 6 years when he could have been hit with 14-- but the judge decided the rapist's future was MORE important, so he gave the little $#!+ just 6 MONTHS, and in the county jail, NOT prison.
This was made even more notorious due to Turner's equally-disgusting Dad who read a statement bemoaning his boy's tragic despondency and bleak future, and all because of "20 minutes of action"-- countered by the strong statement made by the victim, whose whole life had been put through the wringer over a crime she barely remembered but had succeeded in wrecking HER existence.
The Facebookers, whose blunt memes were temporarily pulled by Facebook itself, have spent a lot of time eviscerating the lives of Turner, Jr. and Sr., in the only safe, legal manner available, and, probably futilely, petitioning for the judge to be recalled.
This NY Times article sums it up neatly, and proves links to the victim's statement, and the scuzzy whining of Brock's father. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/07/us/outrage-in-stanford-rape-case-over-dueling-statements-of-victim-and-attackers-father.html
Less-known nationally, but also infamously, came the sentencing of one Christopher Plaskon, age 18, formerly of Milford Connecticut, 2 years after he viciously stabbed-- right in school, with witnesses who attempted to rescue-- his classmate and former friend, honor student Maren Sanchez, allegedly because she had refused to go to the senior prom with him. (She had another boyfriend with whom she planned to attend, and apparently had never regarded Plaskon in any romantic light.) Plaskon, who had actually mentioned harming and wishing harm upon Sanchez, also revealed the plan for an insanity defense-- which, of course, undermined the intention for an insanity defense, though he WAS known to have some psychiatric issues. In the end, because it was unlikely he met the standard for such a defense, Plaskon made a no-contest plea deal, which garnered him a sentence of 25 years with the possibility of parole in 15-- subtracting the 2 years he's been incarcerated so far, actually 13 years, when he will be only 31.
Maren Sanchez was the daughter of divorced parents-- her mother, whose only child she was, had worked in the past as a waitress, and her father was currently living in Florida with his second family. They have united for a series of lawsuits against the school system, which they claim ignored Maren's insights and warnings about Chris Plaskon, and Plaskon's parents, who are reputed to have some influence in the town. Maren was a member of the National Honor Society, and was Junior Class president. For months, Jonathan Law High School, where the perp and vic attended and the killing took place, was festooned with shades of purple, said to be the popular Maren's favorite color. (Ironically perhaps, she was buried in her chosen prom gown, which was a shade of teal or aqua, as I recall.)
Needless to say, the parents are upset at the quarter-century sentence, to be rendered shorter by possible parole of a still-young killer. The lawyers and prosecutors are full of their usual excuses.
http://www.courant.com/news/connecti...605-story.html
http://www.ctpost.com/news/crime/art...to-7965420.php
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Originally Posted by Linnie
