Thursday, October 28, 2004

Here Come Da Party Judge

A trial judge in Texas is in hot water for greeting a condemned man with streamers, balloons, and cake when he appeared for her to impose a life sentence. The man in question had been on the lam for a year and was convicted of assault in absentia. The judge threw the party supposedly to celebrate the capture of this wily criminal. While justice is certainly served by the incarceration of fugitives, it's sad that a supposedly impartial judge feels no shame at expressing such joy at sentencing a man to life in prison. A life in prison is a heinous existence for anyone, including convicted felons. Sure, he's a bastard (apparently). That doesn't mean he isn't human and isn't entitled to a little respect from the government that's taking away his freedom.

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