Free Republic

Two days after the arrest, Department of Corrections officials said Rapkin had two opportunities to have Smith arrested for probation violations before Carlie's death, but let the violations go unpunished. Rapkin contends that the probation officers never said they wanted Smith arrested in the first case, and did not make a case for his arrest in the second case. "I did the best I could," Rapkin said at the time. He quickly became a symbol for people who complain that the criminal justice system is a revolving door for repeat offenders. In the days after Carlie's death, he would not...

Impact Segment: Raging Rapkin Judge Harry Rapkin of Sarasota, FL refused to send Joseph Smith back to prison on a parole violation. Now, Smith is under arrest and the principal suspect in the brutal murder of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia. In 1995, Rapkin refused to send Richard Lee Walker back to jail for a probation violation - and now, Walker is the principal suspect in the murder of another young girl, 14-year-old Kristy Degg. Degg's mother Sandra and sister Kristy are guests tonight on The O'Reilly Factor. The judge has declined repeated offers to appear on The Factor - but he...