Subscribe Now!
GannettUSA Today

Friday, April 14, 2006

No punctuation in these sentences

Rumson businessman Michael Buonopane was released from state prison Tuesday after serving less than three months of a four-year sentence. Actually, that's for THREE four-year terms to run concurrently. I never liked the idea of "concurrent" sentences. What's the point? The way I see it, he served less than 1/48th of his total sentence for failing to pay $4.6 million in taxes.

On Thursday, Louis Piraino of Stafford pleaded guilty to soliciting seven boys ages 12 through 15 for sex. Charges against him include threatening to kill two of those kids, committing criminal sexual contact upon one of them, possessing a rifle by a convicted person (convicted for a sexual assault 30 years ago for sodomizing a boy younger than 16) and possessing the rifle with the purpose of using it against one of the victims.

The county's going to recommend dismissal of some charges in exchange for his guilty plea to seven counts of child endangerment, possession of pornography and - what's called the most serious charge against him - possession of a weapon by a convicted person. The sentence to be suggested will be 10 years for the weapon charge (with a requirement of five years served before parole) and five years for the child-endangerment counts. At least those will run consecutively. The 18-month charge to be recommended for the pornography will run concurrently. Again, what's the point? Formal sentencing will take place after it's determined if he's a "repetitive or compulsive" offender. That's a no-brainer. He is. And he doesn't deserve to be out in five-plus years.

What message are these sentences sending? Be the subject of one of the state's biggest tax evasion cases, and you'll be out in a few months under the state's "Intensive Supervision Program." Out of jail is out of jail. And be arrested after terrifying several adolescent youths and trying to force yourself on them, and the worst charge against you is that you owned a gun.

Are these sentences nauseating? What crimes actually get sentences that fit?

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home