The Pros And Cons Of Criminal Justice
799 Words
4 Pages
There is an extremely thin line that the justice system tip toes on when they are persecuting criminals. The justice system has to make sure that the proper justice is served without infringing on the criminals natural rights. Figuring out how to punish a criminal can be difficult task because no matter what the crimes they have committed cannot be undone. The damage that the criminals have caused to people by the crime they have committed such as: fraud, theft, domestic violence, battery, assault, abuse, molestation, rape, murder, etc. will not be erased; it will be with them for the rest of the victim’s life. Then not only does the crime effect the victim’s life it will also affect their families and anyone else involved. Then there are cases
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1993 in Houston, Texas, 16- year-old Elizabeth Pena and 14 year old Jennifer Ertman were walking home when they came across a gang drinking and initiating a new member. The girls were grabbed and gang raped for over an hour before the gang killed them. They were found because one of the gang members boasted about what they had done to the girls and the brother had called the police to give them a tip on what happened and the location of the girl’s bodies. There were 6 people convicted and of that six, only 5 were sentenced to death. The 5th, who was a 14 year old, was sentenced to 40 years for aggravated sexual assault; because that is the maximum that a juvenile can be sentenced. The 14-year-old was the only one to confess to his crimes and when he turned 18 the sentence was to be reviewed and at which point he could be released. What if the other 5 had confessed to the rape and murder of these two young girls? Should the gang members have not been sentenced to death or should they have had the same sentencing? With a crime of this nature, their sentencing seems to fit perfectly. Especially with knowing that they had to have spent some time in jail, where there are fathers in jail that do not take lightly to knowing that their cell mate raped and murdered a child. In that sense an unspoken justice was served. This is a crime where a confession should mean absolutely nothing to the judge when it comes time to decide the criminal’s fate. While the gang member may have been drunk they did not regret what they did they boasted about what they did to those girls. Even complain about how hard it was to kill the girls by saying “the bitch wouldn’t die” and it would have been “easier with a gun”. (Worst Rape Cases The World Has Seen &
1993 in Houston, Texas, 16- year-old Elizabeth Pena and 14 year old Jennifer Ertman were walking home when they came across a gang drinking and initiating a new member. The girls were grabbed and gang raped for over an hour before the gang killed them. They were found because one of the gang members boasted about what they had done to the girls and the brother had called the police to give them a tip on what happened and the location of the girl’s bodies. There were 6 people convicted and of that six, only 5 were sentenced to death. The 5th, who was a 14 year old, was sentenced to 40 years for aggravated sexual assault; because that is the maximum that a juvenile can be sentenced. The 14-year-old was the only one to confess to his crimes and when he turned 18 the sentence was to be reviewed and at which point he could be released. What if the other 5 had confessed to the rape and murder of these two young girls? Should the gang members have not been sentenced to death or should they have had the same sentencing? With a crime of this nature, their sentencing seems to fit perfectly. Especially with knowing that they had to have spent some time in jail, where there are fathers in jail that do not take lightly to knowing that their cell mate raped and murdered a child. In that sense an unspoken justice was served. This is a crime where a confession should mean absolutely nothing to the judge when it comes time to decide the criminal’s fate. While the gang member may have been drunk they did not regret what they did they boasted about what they did to those girls. Even complain about how hard it was to kill the girls by saying “the bitch wouldn’t die” and it would have been “easier with a gun”. (Worst Rape Cases The World Has Seen &