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NewsLeniency not part of systemMarch 7, 2007Florida Times-Union In her column titled "Troubled girls are being pushed into institutions," Tonyaa Weathersbee describes the plight of a juvenile girl in the justice system: "She joined the ranks of girls from Duval County and the state who wind up in the juvenile justice system because it only judges their actions, not the traumatic history that often leads to it." This is a naive and frightening prescription for the justice system. Following this course, lawbreakers who have a traumatic history should get lighter sentences than offenders who do not. When I was a child in the 1950s, there was a daytime TV show called Queen For A Day. Contestants came on the show and told one heart-wrenching story after another, all trying to claim that they had it worse than the next person. Finally, the audience voted for the "queen" based upon who "deserved" it more. This would be a sea change in the history of English and American common law. John Doe comes from a good family background, was raised in the church and maintains a "B" average in school. He robs a convenience store with a gun. He gets 10 years in prison. Bill Smith comes from a broken family, never went to Sunday school and has a "D" average in school. He robs a different convenience store with a gun. He gets five years. Sure, that makes perfect sense, Weathersbee. Affirmative action, anyone? Is no one forced to take Logic 101 anymore? MYRON J. HAUBEN, Fernandina Beach |
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