Pubdate: Sat, 22 May 1999 Source: Florida Today (FL) Copyright: 1999 FLORIDA TODAY Contact: http://www.flatoday.com/letters.htm Website: http://www.flatoday.com/ LAW PEGS REPEAT OFFENDERS Thousands Of Children Watch Governor Sign Measure Fifth-grader Evens Jean-Francois agreed with Gov. Jeb Bush. People who repeatedly commit violent crimes should go to jail for a long, long time. No questions asked. Classmate Judeley Multidor was more interested in seeing pro wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson than watching Florida's governor sign a bill. In an anti-drug rally Friday, an estimated 20,000 rowdy elementary students at the Orange Bowl saw Bush sign three bills -- the most prominent being "Three Strikes" legislation. The new law plays a big part in the Republican's vow to increase mandatory sentences. How many of the children will benefit -- or eventually end up behind bars - -- because of the legislation could be Bush's lasting legacy in Florida. "It's important for kids to know there is good as well as bad in this world and there are consequences to our actions," Bush told reporters as he exited stage right -- where The Rock waited for his grand entrance. The fifth-graders were graduating from a 17-week Drug Abuse Resistance Education, better known as D.A.R.E. The graduation, which included a mass pledge to resist alcohol and drugs, is usually done separately at the 115 Miami- Dade County schools that were present Friday. Bush signed the Three Strikes legislation, as well as bills establishing the Office of Drug Control and adding the designer drug ketamine, also known as Special K, to the list of controlled substances. Besides the students, nearly 60 police officers were in attendance. The Three Strikes measure requires judges to give the maximum sentence to people who commit their third violent crime. Drug dealers and those who assault the police or the elderly also have to get the maximum sentence under the bill. "Ten percent of the criminals commit 90 percent of the crime, particularly on the violent side," Bush said. "If you deal with habitual violent offenders seriously you are going to see a dramatic reduction. We've begun this process and these two bills, 10-20-Life and Three Strikes, will be the culmination of a good strategy." Not everybody feels that way. Public defenders said the laws further tie the hands of judges and will bog down courts because suspected criminals will have no incentive to enter plea bargains. "It takes discretion away from our judges. Our belief is that judges ought to judge and ought to make individualized decisions," said C. Richard Parker, a public defender in Gainesville. "Also, inappropriately it will commit individuals to long period of times just because they qualify." Bush disagrees that Three Strikes and 10-20-Life take control out of a judges' hands. "I don't think it limits their effectiveness," the governor said. "I think it just creates a greater certainty of punishment. They still have their flexibility. We structured the law so it eliminates the bizarre cases where someone commits a misdemeanor and is sent to prison forever." Ramond Raiford, a teacher at Lake View Elementary, said he feels the new laws will initially have a strain on the prison system but will work as a deterrent to the students in his class. "I feel stiffer penalties are good," he said. "It makes the parents be more responsible and if they don't, then the system is going to take over." - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake