Pubdate: Fri, 29 Sep 2000
Source: Bergen Record (NJ)
Copyright: 2000 Bergen Record Corp.
Contact:  http://www.bergen.com/cgi-bin/feedback
Website: http://www.bergen.com/

Author: Kathleen Ahearn, Wayne

QUESTION OF PROPORTIONALITY

"Passaic man admits assault on girl, 10" (Page L-1, Sept. 13) and "Cops 
raid marijuana crop in Wayne" (Page L-3, Sept. 13):  

Due to a plea bargain, a Passaic man who raped a 10-year-old girl (with 
evidence of DNA) can be sentenced to 15 years in prison but paroled in 
two to three years. A Garfield man who grows marijuana will probably 
get 10 to 20 years. I would ask the courts, "Where is the comparison?"  

A man has deprived a child of her innocence and gets out of prison in 
two or three years, probably to ruin another child's life. These 
children will live with this as long as they are on this Earth. Should 
not this man be given life in prison without parole, or at the very 
least the entire 15 years? Aren't children precious?  

It is against the law to grow marijuana, and the man who violated this 
law should be punished. But I think he should be punished far less 
severely than a man (or woman) who rapes a child.  
- ---
MAP posted-by: John Chase