Posted on 03/30/2008 7:23:18 PM PDT by SmithL
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised a Sunday decision by a U.S. Supreme Court justice to keep a convicted killer behind bars.
Justice Anthony Kennedy put a hold on a federal court's decision ordering the release on parole of Fred McCullough, who was convicted of second-degree murder in Los Angeles in 1983. McCullough is serving a term of 15 years to life.
"The governor's top priority is public safety," said spokeswoman Lisa Page, who said Schwarzenegger will continue to seek to deny McCullough parole.
The state parole board twice before recommended McCullough for parole, citing his good behavior. In 2002, then- governor Gray Davis denied the recommendation and two years later his successor, Schwarzenegger, made the same decision.
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered McCullough's release in a March 18 decision, but that order was put on hold by Kennedy, who asked McCullough's lawyers to respond by April 2 to the state's appeal.
McCullough was 20 years old in 1982 when he killed a man with a brick while trying to rob him to get money to buy drugs. In 2007 a district court found McCullough "turned his life around in 1985 and has exhibited exemplary behavior since that time."
Dial “m” for urderer? /obscure
If he is doing so well in prison why does it follow that he should be sent to the outside world where is was not doing well?
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