Wednesday, December 24, 2003
Lee Boyd Malvo - screwed, not “spared”, by the system
This boy has done horrible things for which he bears some personal responsibility, but he has done nothing compared to the crimes of John Allen Muhammad – both against Malvo and against the lives of ten innocent people.
The prosecution in this case was a disgrace, in pursuing the death penalty against the boy. When someone is only, at 17, just old enough to be tried as an adult, invoking the death penalty should be reserved for when the teenager has committed particularly heinous acts as principal. Malvo did nothing of the sort.
Malvo’s defence also seems to have been all over the shop. Instead of bringing-up a stretched-definition “insanity” defence, Malvo’s counsel could have much more profitably gone for the jugular on some of the many obscene comments prosecutor (and, I’d bet my life, fellow baby boomer kin of Muhammad) Robert Horan* made during the trial. These comments, just made by Horan, are typical:
Malvo was "very lucky that he looks a lot younger than he is . . . ," Horan told reporters when commenting on the jury's decision.
"We used to have a theory when I was a very young prosecutor that whatever you do, don't try one on Christmas week."
You are a piece of work, Horan - a sweet and fitting testament to everything that’s so fucked-up about your generation.
And just to be generationally even-handed when handing out the Christmas cheer; it is approriate today to remember the fine work of GenX career-climber and work-slut Jayson Blair in stitching-up the hapless Malvo. The SMH website still carries Blair's works of fiction, without any disclaimers:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles//2002/10/28/1035683361131.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles//2002/12/22/1040510964498.html
See also:
http://www.roadtosurfdom.com/surfdomarchives/000557.php where Tim Dunlop happily latches on to Blair's fictions.
* aka Robert F Horan Jr
This boy has done horrible things for which he bears some personal responsibility, but he has done nothing compared to the crimes of John Allen Muhammad – both against Malvo and against the lives of ten innocent people.
The prosecution in this case was a disgrace, in pursuing the death penalty against the boy. When someone is only, at 17, just old enough to be tried as an adult, invoking the death penalty should be reserved for when the teenager has committed particularly heinous acts as principal. Malvo did nothing of the sort.
Malvo’s defence also seems to have been all over the shop. Instead of bringing-up a stretched-definition “insanity” defence, Malvo’s counsel could have much more profitably gone for the jugular on some of the many obscene comments prosecutor (and, I’d bet my life, fellow baby boomer kin of Muhammad) Robert Horan* made during the trial. These comments, just made by Horan, are typical:
Malvo was "very lucky that he looks a lot younger than he is . . . ," Horan told reporters when commenting on the jury's decision.
"We used to have a theory when I was a very young prosecutor that whatever you do, don't try one on Christmas week."
You are a piece of work, Horan - a sweet and fitting testament to everything that’s so fucked-up about your generation.
And just to be generationally even-handed when handing out the Christmas cheer; it is approriate today to remember the fine work of GenX career-climber and work-slut Jayson Blair in stitching-up the hapless Malvo. The SMH website still carries Blair's works of fiction, without any disclaimers:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles//2002/10/28/1035683361131.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles//2002/12/22/1040510964498.html
See also:
http://www.roadtosurfdom.com/surfdomarchives/000557.php where Tim Dunlop happily latches on to Blair's fictions.
* aka Robert F Horan Jr
