newsobserver.com projects - Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame - Comments

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

heavye — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:38:43 -0500

Anytime Sen. Rand would like to come along and ride with some of us "SLACK OFFICERS", I'm sure we would be more than happy to have him....

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame -Jack Wad Politipigs are!

ThoughtCrimes — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:08:44 -0500

Liberal headed googoo muck. Let the criminals run free. shall we re-release those sweet young boys that just killed that cabbie? Yeah sure, why not... just supervise them closely, they'll be valued members of society before you know it! Bah!

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

Sweetsie — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:25:34 -0500

Rand epitomizes all that is wrong with government. These animals should not be out on probation to rob and kill but in prison. As long as the legislature is full of the Tony Rands of the world, things will never get better. They push liberal judges who give out probation on a wholesale basis and then try to blame lack of supervision. These predator thugs are beyond supervisory help. They need to be locked away and Rand and his ilk need to be out of office. ASAP

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

Sweetsie — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:25:33 -0500

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

jgreen5998 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 20:41:41 -0500

I think much of the problem is money. Judges put people on probation and then remit supervision fees. If people are working and are put on probation they should have to pay for the conditional freedom. Being a defense attorney though, I rarely am able to take that position in court with my client next to me.

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

smithfieldsam — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:59:21 -0500

I'm pleading with the N&O: Th Governor says one thing and the leadership of the General Assembly says another. There's paper trail somewhere. Find it, ple-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ase.

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

ncwolf08 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:00:13 -0500

Excuse me, Senator Rand. You work in criminal defense...getting the perpetrators off with either a lesser sentence or no sentence at all. How does that make you an expert??? I can't believe I am saying this...but, Governor Easley got it right...structured sentencing isn't working. My daughter went to school with a guy who committed three armed robberies and assaulted (stabbed) someone before he committed the fourth armed robbery and someone finally saw fit to send him to prison. His officer kept taking him back to court and the judge ordered that probation be continued. Call me crazy, but he should have gone to jail after the first time!!! Structured sentencing allows perpetrators (with some really serious offenses) to remain on our streets. What is it going to take for the laws to be changed???

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

rmmlem — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:59:13 -0500

Baloney! These punks should not have been out on the street to be supervised in the first place. This kind of pond scum should be under careful supervision of the jailer not some underpaid, overworked and definitely undereducated probation or parole officer. One of the main reasons and purposes of any government is to protect it's citizens from home grown and outside threats. Our governments have become so used to caring for their constituents that they are lost when it comes to doing their real jobs. Stop the state welfare programs which will force the willing to make their own way and concentrate on frying or locking up the remainder. We will all be better off in the long run.

Re: Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

FloydTurbo — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:34:26 -0500

Interesting that Boss Hawg Rand is turning against his long time crony Mikey. Predictable now that Easley is 30 days away from "irrelevance". .....

Tony will now concentrate on backing Governor Dumpling ..... "just sign the bill right here, Bev, don't worry your little head about reading it ...."

Rand: Sentencing laws not to blame

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:15:40 -0500

Sen. Tony Rand said sentencing laws are not to blame.

In an interview over the weekend on State Government Radio, the Senate majority leader rejected an argument from Gov. Mike Easley over the reason for problems in the probation system.

Easley has blamed sentencing laws that he said allowed too many people to avoid going to prison for the 580 convictions on murder or manslaughter

Without mentioning the governor by name, Rand said he disagreed.

"I don't think the sentencing has much to do with it," he said. "I think it was a failure of supervision."

Rand said he is familiar with the probation system from his legal practice in criminal defense. He said the system has not been funded adequately and there have been "breakdowns."

"The culture in some areas has just sort of failed us," he said. "(Probation officers) are dealing with oftentimes people who are potentially violent or certainly antisocial. It can be very difficult in these areas to do it. Apparently, they have been allowed to ... slack off and let things slide."