Editorial

TOUGH JUSTICE NEEDED TO COMBAT BRUTAL CRIME

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Typically, lawbreakers pay for their crimes by spending time in jail. Lightweight plea bargains and early prison releases for serious crimes send the wrong kind of message to criminals.

The case of a Springfield murder this week raises questions about the system. The man, a jewelry store owner, was found shot to death. What makes this case so extraordinary is the fact this victim was himself a convicted murderer. Twenty years ago he was found guilty of murdering a Lutesville marshal, and was sentenced to life in prison. That life sentence translated to a mere 10 years behind bars. His cohort in crime - also sentenced to life - served 15 years.

It's ludicrous.

Granted, most juries realize that life in prison doesn't mean a lifetime, when counting in good behavior. But most people probably expect more than 10 years should be served for such a brutal crime. Overcrowded prisons are not a good enough excuse for sending convicted murderers back out on the streets after limited time in jail. In this case, the murderer became the victim, but how often is the scenario switched?

Cape County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle would like to see a law passed to require inmates to serve at least half of their sentences before parole. It's an idea with real merit.

Under the current system, many Class A felons - the ones who commit serious crimes - are serving only one-third of their total sentences behind bars. Those convicted of less serious crimes often serve only one-fourth of their actual sentence in jail.

But just as the parole boards should remain tough on crime, so should the system that brings them to justice. The hard work of law enforcement officers to build a case should not result in lightweight plea bargains that land criminals back on the streets.

Presiding Circuit Court Judge A.J. Seier was right to reject two plea agreements last week. The defendants were two of 21 people indicted during the October drug raids conducted by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force.

Judge Seier told the two defendants that "with all of the time and effort that was expended for this investigation, I'm not going to just put you back on the street." The drug task force had also asked the judge to reject the bargain.

We realize that 90 percent of all criminal cases are worked out through plea bargains. The mechanism itself is not flawed. But these agreements should not simply put criminals back on the street. Where is the deterrent in that?

Few criminals think they'll get caught. Hopefully, the fear of punishment will keep some people from a life of crime. Many people have a hand in the future of a convicted felon: from law enforcement to the court system to the parole boards. We need tough justice to send a stern message to criminals: Cape Girardeau County will not tolerate drug transactions on the streets; life sentences should mean more than a few years in prison. Tough justice is the only way to combat brutal crime.