Pubdate: Thu, 22 Apr 2010
Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Quesnel Cariboo Observer
Contact:  http://www.quesnelobserver.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260
Authors:  Jon McCormick and Denny Fahrentholz
Note: Jon McCormick and Denny Fahrentholz are with Rural Crime Watch 
based in 100 Mile House. They write bi-monthly for the Cariboo Observer.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing)

TIME TO REINSTATE COURT WATCH

Do you remember the tragedy at Columbine High School eleven years ago?

Recently, three miles from Columbine, in Littleton, Colorado, a 
32-year-old gunman opened fire in the school parking lot with a rifle.

He hit two students and was taking aim at another when he was tackled 
by a math teacher who pinned him to the ground.

The two students are recovering in a near-by hospital. Jefferson 
County Sheriff Ted Mink is praising teacher David Benke as a hero.

British Columbia's Cariboo has its own hero/sheepdog in a Williams 
Lake school teacher who tackled a student who had discharged a 
handgun on a school bus.

And of course we have Port Alberni's sheepdog Dennis Galloway who put 
the brakes on an armed bandit bent on killing Galloway and his wife.

Port Alberni has another sheepdog, a teen who told her parents and 
they successfully warned Washington State police of a planned school 
shooting she discovered on Facebook.

Brewster, Washington Police Chief Ron Oules said they arrested 17 
year old Charles Mustoe, a Brewster High School teen and seized a 
number of firearms.

Mustoe planned the attack for April 20th, the 12th anniversary of the 
Columbine shootings.

What about the men and women we pay to be our daily sheepdogs?

They put their lives on the line with little if any gratitude.

Then to heap insult onto a thankless job, the justice system doesn't 
back their actions with punitive jail time for offenders. Recently, 
Cst. Ryan Wilton, a Kamloops RCMP officer, was working a drug 
undercover operation when a teenager stuck a sawed-off shotgun in his face.

Garret Getz, 18 pleaded guilty to robbery with a prohibited weapon 
and received four years.

Four years for attempted murder of a police officer.

Court documents showed that Getz placed the shotgun to the officer's 
head and told him to hand over the $7,000 the officer brought to the 
drug deal, or he'd be shot.

The Mountie's cover team arrived quickly. Getz tried to flee and was 
taken down by the Cst. Wilton.

None of us can put ourselves in Wilton's position, but try for a moment.

Think of staring down the barrel of a shotgun knowing your life will 
soon to be over.

Then the table turns and you have control of the shooter. What would you do?

Court documents indicate that prosecutor Sheri Mark and defence 
attorneys jettisoned a charge of attempted murder of a police officer 
and the mandatory minimum five year gun related sentence agreeing, 
"The minimum prison term is the appropriate penalty."

Really?

Tell that to Cst. Wilton. Better yet, tell that to the Wilton's family.

Is it time to reinstate the Court Watch program where citizens sit in 
on deliberations and sentencing then publish the results with the 
intent of embarrassing both the justice system and legislators into 
mandatory minimum sentencing?

Getz was given a lecture by Justice Robert Powers telling Getz he was 
lucky to be alive and should mend his ways or else face death by drug 
trade or more jail time.

RCW would like to know what offence would warrant more jail time than 
attempted murder.

Watch Courage in Red on Thursday nights. RCW welcomes your input at 
www.ruralcrimewatch.com
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom