Letters to the Editor 02-12-1998
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Sheriff Says Thanks - Clinton's Performance - Plea Bargains
Sheriff Says Thanks
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce and Biomet for honoring me with the 1998 Excellence in Government Award. A great honor has been bestowed upon me by this community in allowing me to serve as your sheriff for 16 years. This would not have been achieved without wonderful, dedicated employees and the support of my family and friends. The governmental and community leaders of this community have always been and continue to be exceptional in making the job worthwhile. Kosciusko County and the communities within remain the number one place to live and to work.
C. Alan Rovenstine, Sheriff
Kosciusko County
Clinton's Performance
Editor, Times-Union:To answer Johnny Pennington's letter, no, I don't think Mr. Clinton is doing a good job. He is far too busy chasing skirts and telling lies to cover up the lies he told before.
For your information I did vote, but certainly not for Clinton. Yes, this is our country and I am proud to be an American. I am very patriotic, but not blindly so. I will not back a president who is a shame, a disgrace and a laughingstock to the rest of the world. I wouldn't trust him to watch my grandchildren, much less run my country. Mr. Clinton is a dishonor to all those who gave their lives to give us our freedom from the British and who gave us our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
As for the service men and women overseas, I'm sure they hear all about the shenanigans of the one who holds the highest office in our land. And I'm sure it is quite demoralizing and embarrassing, to say the least. But I didn't vote for him, so shame on those who did.
Deanna Newton
Warsaw
P.S. I voted my conscience, not my pocketbook.
Plea Bargains
Editor, Times-Union:Plea bargaining seems to be an acceptable system to reward an accused person for cooperating with the law. I've never realized until recently that it has a possible dark side which should be also considered. No, I'm not involved but know someone who is related to someone who is and indirectly I'm given a picture that isn't pretty.
It's based upon fears.
Where a drug lord casts a deep fear shadow of torture or death to those who betray or expose him, a caught-in-the act lesser drug peddler fears to reveal his name so he substitutes the name of another as plea bargain act to win a lighter sentence.
This may seem quite appropriate to the ambitious district attorney who may be overloaded with cases and therefore would welcome this opportunity to quickly dispose of a case.
However, there's a flaw that seems to exist. Does the indirectly implicated person get to argue his side of the case before being dragged into court and confronted with a heap of legal fees, bond applications and lost time from his job?
In an actual case where this is happening, the fingered person feels that there is no opportunity for him to present his defense because if he irritates the district attorney he will be hit harder because the district attorney just wants to look good to the public so he (the D.A.) will get more votes in the coming election.
This brings up the pretty basic question of whether a D.A.'s position should be elective. The alternative, however, seems worse to me.
Isn't the only answer a matter of informing the public? If the news media are able to also point out facts when and if a D.A. allows his political aspirations to cloud his judgment and ethical use of his office, then the public should and would kick him out.
Thus you and each newspaper editor everywhere have a deep responsibility that enables laws - all laws and elections to work properly. Everyone in a position to influence the public - from the president of the United States to common folks - must treat and nurture morality as the very foundation of the entire legal system upon which civilizations are built. We must never elect any public office holder who is not morally well proven.
Rex Bradt
Warsaw
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- Sheriff Says Thanks - Clinton's Performance - Plea Bargains
Sheriff Says Thanks
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce and Biomet for honoring me with the 1998 Excellence in Government Award. A great honor has been bestowed upon me by this community in allowing me to serve as your sheriff for 16 years. This would not have been achieved without wonderful, dedicated employees and the support of my family and friends. The governmental and community leaders of this community have always been and continue to be exceptional in making the job worthwhile. Kosciusko County and the communities within remain the number one place to live and to work.
C. Alan Rovenstine, Sheriff
Kosciusko County
Clinton's Performance
Editor, Times-Union:To answer Johnny Pennington's letter, no, I don't think Mr. Clinton is doing a good job. He is far too busy chasing skirts and telling lies to cover up the lies he told before.
For your information I did vote, but certainly not for Clinton. Yes, this is our country and I am proud to be an American. I am very patriotic, but not blindly so. I will not back a president who is a shame, a disgrace and a laughingstock to the rest of the world. I wouldn't trust him to watch my grandchildren, much less run my country. Mr. Clinton is a dishonor to all those who gave their lives to give us our freedom from the British and who gave us our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
As for the service men and women overseas, I'm sure they hear all about the shenanigans of the one who holds the highest office in our land. And I'm sure it is quite demoralizing and embarrassing, to say the least. But I didn't vote for him, so shame on those who did.
Deanna Newton
Warsaw
P.S. I voted my conscience, not my pocketbook.
Plea Bargains
Editor, Times-Union:Plea bargaining seems to be an acceptable system to reward an accused person for cooperating with the law. I've never realized until recently that it has a possible dark side which should be also considered. No, I'm not involved but know someone who is related to someone who is and indirectly I'm given a picture that isn't pretty.
It's based upon fears.
Where a drug lord casts a deep fear shadow of torture or death to those who betray or expose him, a caught-in-the act lesser drug peddler fears to reveal his name so he substitutes the name of another as plea bargain act to win a lighter sentence.
This may seem quite appropriate to the ambitious district attorney who may be overloaded with cases and therefore would welcome this opportunity to quickly dispose of a case.
However, there's a flaw that seems to exist. Does the indirectly implicated person get to argue his side of the case before being dragged into court and confronted with a heap of legal fees, bond applications and lost time from his job?
In an actual case where this is happening, the fingered person feels that there is no opportunity for him to present his defense because if he irritates the district attorney he will be hit harder because the district attorney just wants to look good to the public so he (the D.A.) will get more votes in the coming election.
This brings up the pretty basic question of whether a D.A.'s position should be elective. The alternative, however, seems worse to me.
Isn't the only answer a matter of informing the public? If the news media are able to also point out facts when and if a D.A. allows his political aspirations to cloud his judgment and ethical use of his office, then the public should and would kick him out.
Thus you and each newspaper editor everywhere have a deep responsibility that enables laws - all laws and elections to work properly. Everyone in a position to influence the public - from the president of the United States to common folks - must treat and nurture morality as the very foundation of the entire legal system upon which civilizations are built. We must never elect any public office holder who is not morally well proven.
Rex Bradt
Warsaw
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