[Walkin Man]

If Florida had a three-strikes law the pig that killed her would be locked up and this poor little girl would still be alive and well.

God help her poor family.

[Lazamataz]

If Florida had a three-strikes law the pig that killed her would be locked up and this poor little girl would still be alive and well.

I didn't used to be an advocate of the Three Strikes law.

I was arrested for possession of cocaine. It was the event that caused me to re-evaluate my life and realize that I was addicted.

The cocaine came back from the lab negative. There was no cocaine.

So, they tried to indict me on another felony, possession of ritalin.

I have a prescription.

Folks, it's really really difficult to get ONE felony. To get THREE felonies you have to be working at it. I am now foursquare in favor of the Three Strikes law.

---

That said, I don't think drug possession should be a jailing offense, unless the addict in quesion simply refuses to quit. Treatment should be the first option offered to addicts. Those that want to get well, and start into recovery, will. Those that continue to piss dirty, are showing that they have no intention of trying to recover. Those people who have no intention to get better should probably end up in jail.

However, in this example, Smith WAS offered treatment, and CONSTANTLY tested dirty, yet he STILL wasn't put up in jail or prison. That is a system failure.

[TN4Liberty]

If Florida had a three-strikes law the pig that killed her would be locked up and this poor little girl would still be alive and well.

If the judges had done their jobs, a three strike law wouldn't be necessary.

[ovrtaxt]

We have a 10-20-life law (thanks to Jeb)(!) but that wouldn't have helped here. It's just for crimes committed with a gun.

The PI that the family hired is supposedly going after the judges (good luck) but jeb(!) said that his office would look into the judicial failings too. Hopefully, things will change. Floridians are sick of the courts working against law enforcement.

The Schiavo case is another prime example.

[peteram]

If Florida had a three-strikes law the pig that killed her would be locked up and this poor little girl would still be alive and well.

Chalk it up to prison overcrowding. For years the Libs (ACLU, etc) kept charging that Florida's prisons were too crowded and that it was inhumane to "store" prisoners like that. So now judges have to make a call based on their own discretion. This slime was set to go back to jail for parole violation (didn't pay his fines as per his sentence), but the judge - probably considering the overcrowding situation - let him loose.

I think overcrowding should NOT be an issue. If you go to jail convicted of a crime, you deserve to be "stored" in that situation.

[sinkspur]

If Florida had a three-strikes law the pig that killed her would be locked up and this poor little girl would still be alive and well.

But the liberals and libertarians are afraid that some "innocent" felon, who only steals TVs and kills puppies, will end up in the hoosegow for life, don't you see?

We've got FReepers who will come on this website and say, with a straight face, that even YOU and I could get caught up in this "rush to justice," and that judges need "discretion."

Judicial discretion is responsible for this girl's death.

Thank the libs, and the Lew Rockwell-loving libertarians.

[Suck My AR-16]

As of July 1, 1999 Florida has imposed tough new laws requiring that so called "career criminals" serve mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment. Perhaps the statute that has received the most attention is the "three-time violent felony offender" law

http://www.defensehelp.com/Three%20Strikes.htm

[floriduh voter]

I think Fla has a 3 strikes law but it's only applicable if you use a gun in 3 crimes. don't hold me to that but I think that's as far as it goes.