Eastside Defender

Contributor Johnny Northside over at the Mpls Mirror took a look at sentences received by criminals in his neighborhood:

from what I'm seeing... paltry "slap on the wrist" sentences are the norm.

Some highlights of his research (with his commentary):

Kevin D. Holt, 29, caught fornicating in an alley (near 22nd Ave. N. and 3rd St. N.) and was charged with indecent exposure/conduct. Pleaded guilty. (Herland was prosecutor, Hopper was judge). He received a $50 fine and a suspended sentence of 30 days. Why not just sell licenses for $50 for the right to fornicate in an alley?

Lee Bradford Wright, 22, ran away from officers responding to a 911 hangup who observed "5 fresh bullet holes" through the front window. There was another arrest at the scene and a .40 semi automatic pistol and a 12 gauge shotgun were recovered. Johnston was the prosecutor, Hopper the judge. The penalty for this good clean fun with firearms was a suspended 45 day sentence and a fine of $50.

Theresa Lynn Jordan, 49, caught red-handed stealing scrap metal by crawling through an opening in a fence at a scrapyard, 1728 2nd Street N. She also admitted stealing from this business in the past. Prosecutor was Clair F. Cole, the judge was the Honorable Philip D. Bush. Jordan paid a $50 fine and got a 45 day sentence, all stayed. Maybe the system could make itself more convenient by letting folks pay in stolen copper pipe.

Johnny then took a look at sentencing from a “nice neighborhood” (Lowry Hill) to see if perhaps those criminals were held more accountable. They were not.

This all led him to lament the point of calling 911, or filing Community Impact Statements. Such is a common sentiment. Yet, experience has shown that if we do not call 911, it is as if crime never happens, our police are sent away on other duty, and the bad guys expand their operations.

Similarly for filing CISes, they are the one thing we can do to increase the chance that career criminals will at least be put under active supervision after the judges let them loose on our community.
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