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Originally Posted by redwitch
Kahuna -- Nice, thoughtful post on a very controversial topic. I've been fortunate that I haven't lost anyone to crime. I have been severely injured and assaulted in two separate crimes. In one, the culprit was never caught. In the other, the police did not give the SOB his Miranda rights (how does anyone not do that today???).
In the first assault, it was a dumb kid. I would have liked to have seen him get help rather than punishment. He was young enough to have a chance to turn his life around. In the second, I probably would have killed him myself if I'd been given the opportunity but would not have wanted the State to do it for me.
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Redwitch. Good input.
Kahuna? Nice post. I am not so sure that this applies though in many cases. Some people forgive the people who harmed loved ones, some do not.
I have had friends and acquaintances involved in all kinds of crimes and was the victim of an attempted carjacking myself in 1984 and the reactions people had to these crimes varied greatly from person to person but was often based on people's individuals ideals and ideas about right and wrong and the like.
One college friend was stabbed 6 times near the heart and the oxygen was cut off from his brain for a few minutes but the jury in that case seemed to find fault with my friend and gave the assailant a light sentence. It was a jealous husband that did this stabbing. The circumstances of each case do play a lot into it too.
Like our jury system a lot as long as the jury is not too manipulated by the lawyers, the media, and the like. Of course, there is also the plea bargaining and deals that come into play as well.
From the victims' point-of-view, the sentencing guidelines do leave a lot to be desired as you wrote. But one victim may be quite different from another victim in how he or she sees things.