Posted on 12/22/2010 6:19:39 PM PST by FTJM
THE RAZOR WIRE atop the prison fence glistened yesterday morning and winter's first winds whipped tears from Sue Aitken's eyes. But the foreboding walls, the frigid air and almost two years of guilt did not dampen her mood.
"I haven't woken up with a smile in a long, long time," she said, beaming with excitement as she went inside.
An hour later, her son, Brian Aitken, 27, walked out of Mid-State Correctional Facility, in Burlington County near Fort Dix, less than 24 hours after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie commuted to time-served his seven-year sentence for weapons possession.
Christie's decision followed media coverage including a Nov. 30 Daily News story that attracted national attention and drew support for Aitken in hundreds of online comments on the newspaper's website, philly.com. Aitken's attorney, Evan Nappen, said Monday that the People Paper's coverage had "played a part in freeing an innocent man."
Back at the Aitken residence in Mount Laurel, having left the prison together yesterday, mother and son shared a long, silent embrace in the driveway - just a few yards from where his life fell apart on Jan. 2, 2009.
"This is it," he said. "This is where it all began."
On that day, Aitken, an entrepreneur, media consultant and graduate student, had told his mother that his life wasn't worth living anymore after his ex-wife canceled visitation with their young son. When he left the house, Sue Aitken called the police out of concern, but hung up before they answered.
Police showed up anyway, found handguns in the trunk of his car, and Sue Aitken has grappled with her decision ever since. Although Aitken bought the weapons legally in Colorado, he was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
It’s about time!
Merry Christmas Brian!
Chris Christy should have PARDONED him, not just commuted his sentence.
I agree, but for legal reasons it was commuted.
What were the legal reasons?
Christie was protecting himself in case (not that he would) Aiken did resort to violence against his ex-wife in the future.
If Aiken were dead, he would’ve gotten a complete pardon.
Hi shouldn’t have that conviction on his record. Christie did a good thing in getting him out, but commuting the sentence is the safe thing that makes him look good to both sides.
What a travesty. Imprisoned without having done anything wrong. Where are all the lefties who screamed about government having too much power when Bush was president?? Meanwhile thousands of thugs with guns are roaming the streets and somehow police don’t seem to be able to stop them.
Not a very nice legal reason. I thought perhaps it was to preserve his appeals in hopes of overturning NJ’s unconstitutional limitations on gun owners.
I’m glad Christie refused to reappoint the jerk judge on this case. That’s a victory.
That is true.
>> Chris Christy should have PARDONED him, not just commuted his sentence. <<
Aitken didn’t want a pardon, at least not just yet. He and his lawyer wanted a chance to appeal the original decision so as to have it overturned. If successful, he can truly say he was found “not guilty” by a the normal legal process, whereas a pardon would leave lingering doubt — at least in some folks’ minds — as to whether or not he was guilty.
I hope you are correct as to the reason he did not get a ‘pardon’-—he now has a felony record and cannot own a firearm due to the ‘peoples republic of NJ’ and their stuopid, vindictive firearms laws-—I am an 88 yr old WW2 combat vet who lived there from 1945 until 1994 and finally got my ass out of the dump-—my seven kids and 36 grands are still there but I will never go back to that hellhole of liberal garbage—Christie is better than most of the trash they elect but still a ‘gun-grabber’ at heart.
Along with other posters here, I thought a pardon would be the best solution, but apparently that is wrong. By continuing with his legal battle Aitken can completely clear his name, and can reduce the chances that this sort of travesty will be repeated. Christie did the right thing.
>> after his ex-wife canceled visitation with their young son.
Because Dad’s don’t much matter... /s
Dad’s -> Dads
Let’s just hope his idiot Mom has taken 911 off of her speed dial and doesn’t call the cops on her own son for some stupid ninny reason in the future.
>> doesn’t call the cops on her own son for some stupid ninny reason in the future <<
Probably she called the cops because she was worried he might commit suicide, after he told her his life wasn’t worth living. She doesn’t seem so stupid to me.
I thought you didn’t have to excerpt the Philadelphia Daily News. The window bombed out on me as I was about to finish the first page.
Regardless, this guy needs to have his record completely erased and rights restored. Merry Christmas!
http://inthespotlite.blogspot.com/2008/10/cops-kill-suicidal-man-threatening-no.html
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