There is so much I, as a reader of the Daily State News, do not know about the situation described in the letter from Mr. John Drennen, regarding the Dover man convicted on gun and drug charges being sentenced to 40 months, which Mr. Drennen regards as too lenient (“Judges’ lenient sentences deserve harsh criticism”). Maybe it was but maybe not.
The letter indicates that the criminal in question had just been released from prison a month previous to the incident that put him back in jail. Was he on probation? It seems likely. Was the 40-month sentence mentioned added on to the uncompleted portion of a previous conviction?
A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, “The just sentence imposed by Judge (Jennifer) Hall today is more than double the longest sentence Deontray Watson has previously served.” Maybe the issue is not that 40 months is too lenient but that his previous sentences were too lenient. Maybe the issue is that there are insufficient or ineffective rehabilitative programs in the facilities where this man was previously incarcerated.
Too many questions for me to charge the judge as too lenient, especially in light of the U.S. attorney’s comments.
John P. McCarthy
Frederica
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
