[Vision2020] WTF?

[Art Deco]

What this decision says is that in slightly modified form the unwritten law (It's OK to kill your spouse's lover) is in full operation in Latah County.  Wonderful!  Would this apply also if the adulterer killed was a prominent local parson?

I thought the original sentence was perhaps a little weak, but at least it sent a message that alleged adultery is not a justification of murder (usage: ordinary language, not one of  the many different shades of legalese to describe a chickenshit slaying).  But 5 months soft jail time?

According the DN here is part of the murderer's statement of remorse:

"There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about what happened."

This doesn't sound like remorse to me, but rather indulgent self-pity.

The victim, Tyler Pace Lee, will never know the joy or sorrow of anything anymore.  His friends and family, instead enjoying his presence, are left with numbing sorrow, emptiness, and bewilderment at the judge and whole criminal justice system.

'Lee's father, Loftin Lee, listened to the proceedings via conference call and also addressed the court. Ultimately his pleas for Leonard to remain incarcerated were not heeded.  "Five months incarceration is not enough punishment for the person who took my son's life," he said.'


And it's 15 years of probation, not parole.

At least Prosecutor Bill Thompson opposed this absurd reduction:  

'Prior to Brudie's decision, Prosecutor Bill Thompson argued against granting probation. He cited concerns over lack of suitable supervision in Leonard's probation plan and also over what he said seemed to be a lack of remorse over the incident.  "I have to wonder if we are creating a situation that is destined to fail," he said.'


Maybe in addition to murderer James Leonard, the judge and recommending Cottonwood officials ought be in prison too.  In my opinion they represent a far greater threat to society than Leonard because they are likely to be continuous repeat offenders in this regard.

Wayne A. Fox
1009 Karen Lane
PO Box 9421
Moscow, ID  83843

waf at moscow.com
208 882-7975
___________________________
Leonard charged with second-degree murder
Posted on: Thursday, May 08, 2008



James Curtis Leonard has officially been charged with second-degree murder for the June shooting death of Tyler Pace Lee.



Leonard, 24, was to face trial for voluntary manslaughter, but that charge was dismissed just before the trial was slated to begin last week. Prosecutors filed the second-degree murder charge Wednesday in Latah County District Court.



Police allege Leonard shot Lee, 25, of Moscow multiple times with a handgun and killed him after a June 19 argument at Leonard's Sprenger Road home near Genesee.



Leonard pleaded not guilty to the voluntary manslaughter charge in August.



Lee's ex-girlfriend, Amanda Draper, testified during an August preliminary hearing that Lee threatened to kill her, Leonard and Leonard's wife after learning Leonard had an affair with Draper. Draper also testified that Lee said he would rape Leonard's wife in front of Leonard before killing them.



The motion for dismissal of the voluntary manslaughter charges stated that new information had come to light in the case.



An affidavit of Detective Margaret Lehmbecker filed Friday states that she spoke April 22 to Lee's sister, who said Draper had told several different stories about what happened the morning of June 19. One story indicated Lee had caught Draper and Leonard having sex.



Lehmbecker interviewed Draper again April 23. According to the affidavit, Draper said she did not have sex with Leonard that morning, but said they were "messing around" and Lee may have seen them.



Lehmbecker's affidavit also states that Sunny Namauu, who lived at the Sprenger Road home with Leonard, told an Idaho State Police officer in July that Leonard "tried to dispose of Lee's body." Namauu said Leonard asked him for a shovel, which Namauu gave him. Namauu said he did not help Leonard with the body.

Leonard's preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. June 26.

___________________________________________


James Leonard granted probation
Man faces 15 years probation after five months in prison for 2007 shooting death
By Mark Williams Daily News staff writer

Posted on: Thursday, November 05, 2009


Leonard

James Curtis Leonard was granted probation Wednesday for the 2007 shooting death of Tyler Pace Lee.



Leonard pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter last February for shooting Lee, 25, of Moscow multiple times with a handgun and killing him after an argument at Leonard's Sprenger Road home near Genesee.



Second District Judge Jeff Brudie originally sentenced Leonard last May to a term of no less than five years in prison and no more than 15.



Leonard will now face a probation period of 15 years from the date of his original sentencing in May. He soon will be processed and released, then required to report to an assigned probation officer.



Both Brudie and defense attorney Sunil Ramalingam indicated Leonard ultimately would seek to move out of the Moscow/Latah County area while completing the probation.



Brudie retained jurisdiction in order to determine whether Leonard should be eligible for probation upon completion of several state programs at the North Idaho Correctional Institution in Cottonwood, where Leonard was held for the past five months.



Leonard received a recommendation of probation from the Idaho Department of Corrections based on his work at the Cottonwood facility. Brudie said he was not obligated to follow the recommendation but said Leonard had met the requirements placed before him to earn probation.



Leonard was originally charged with voluntary manslaughter in 2007 and entered a plea of not guilty. In May 2008, the state sought a second-degree murder charge as further details of the case emerged. Leonard pleaded not guilty to the second-degree charge in August 2008.



Prior to Brudie's decision, Prosecutor Bill Thompson argued against granting probation. He cited concerns over lack of suitable supervision in Leonard's probation plan and also over what he said seemed to be a lack of remorse over the incident.



"I have to wonder if we are creating a situation that is destined to fail," he said.



Lee's father, Loftin Lee, listened to the proceedings via conference call and also addressed the court. Ultimately his pleas for Leonard to remain incarcerated were not heeded. 



"Five months incarceration is not enough punishment for the person who took my son's life," he said.



A soft-spoken, visibly nervous Leonard also made a short statement prior to Brudie's decision and asked Lee's family for forgiveness.



"There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about what happened," he said.



Mark Williams can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 301, or by e-mail at mwilliams at dnews.com.


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: donald edwards 
  To: vision2020 at moscow.com 
  Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 7:19 AM
  Subject: Re: [Vision2020] WTF?


  I sympathize with the "crime of passion" argument from personal experience with a similar situation involving a cheating fiancee' in our own living room while I was home.  I guess I chose to swallow my ego, go out and learn Craps that night at the Flamingo Hilton down the street, then move out the next day.  What was I going to do that would change her mind?  Kill us all?  It took maybe a few weeks of introspection to weigh my own part in what maybe inspired her to that action of longing something different. 

  "If you don't like the punishment for the various degrees of crime, then go to your legislator and have the law changed." Chuck Kovis
   
  Chuck is right.  The laws suck.  I think it's because most of our lawmakers don't care about serving the common man but are whores for big business.  This is obvious in a system where we allow private owned prisons to lobby congress for mandatory minimum sentences and three-strikes laws that would put away a petty thief for 25yrs. with no parole because he stole a loaf of bread after being out of jail for 5 years and holding a job the entire time.  No compassion allowed for him.
   
  Or the man who loses his house and family and serves a min. 10yrs. no-parole for planting a seed in his backyard that keeps him calm and non-violent while combatting the law of supply and demand that allows the Mexican Mafia to profit thus saving lives of law enforcement.  Nope, we'd rather he be out spending his money, drinking and driving and waving his guns around or doped up on Merck Meds and Alcohol.
   
  Here's an idea for a legislative change: why not encourage responsible gun control that would require anyone wanting the great responsibility of owning an arsenal have to take the same safety and law course policemen do?  These teach case studies of when lethal force is appropriate and the consequences even officers have had to suffer for making that split second decision to pull the trigger.  This might have been invaluable to the shooter who would have been better equipped to decide if his life was truly in danger or if it could have been handled with a call to 911 first, then a baseball bat, phone cord, neck tie or even his own two feet in the meantime.
   
  Apparently though, 5-15yrs. somehow translates to 5mo. Great message for the next generation of lawmakers and the rational/logical thinking young adults running around screwing eachother.
   
  Don "backasswards" common sense


   


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