The Outrageous Outrage of Sara Jane Olson’s Supporters

StarTribune ^ | 3/24/08 | Katherine Kersten

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

A flood of tears were shed last week for Sara Jane Olson, the former St. Paul resident who is serving time in a California prison for the attempted murder of police officers and participation in a fatal bank robbery. Olson recently obtained early release after serving six years of her sentence, but was re-arrested and returned to prison only days later, after authorities determined that they had miscalculated her parole date.

Olson must now serve one additional year. The complaints that led to her re-arrest, according to the Star Tribune, may have come from individuals affected by her crimes—the Los Angeles police union and Jon Opsahl, son of the woman murdered in the bank robbery.

Olson’s chorus of St. Paul supporters is up in arms. They have condemned her re-arrest as some kind of crime against humanity. A friend in local theater, Wendy Knox, laments that “to put her and her family through that is one more unconscionable act,” according to the Star Tribune. Think Again commentator MOI adroitly responded to that yesterday: “Wendy Knox—when was the first unconscionable act? When your friend almost blew up scores of people or when your friend helped murder someone?”

Supporter Peter Rachleff adds his condemnation, calling the treatment of Olson “torture” and “outrageous,” according to the Star Tribune. “We should be ashamed that anybody should be treated like this.” Olson’s attorney, David Nickerson, provides the usual lawyerly understatement: “This is like the Gestapo picking up somebody off the street.” (Nickerson might want to brush up on his Third Reich history.) “This action is illegal,” he adds. “They will be sued.”

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

It'll be interesting to see if her pal Keith Ellison will keep his mouth shut this time around......or, call for a congressional investigation.....

[Rummyfan]

Olson recently obtained early release after serving six years of her sentence, but was re-arrested and returned to prison only days later, after authorities determined that they had miscalculated her parole date.

Kinda delicious actually, and a little bit of extra punishment for the witch....

[Gumdrop]

It’s not exactly extra punishment, as she wa supposed to serve 14 years. However, I get your meaning. To be released and then rearrested is certainly frought with some humor, as Sara Jane thought she was out after 6 years.

Personally she’s a loser and ought to be in there for about 40 years. That would take her to the end of her expected life span. It cound not happen to a more deserving person!

Katherine Kerstien is the only person on the Mpls Star-Tribune editorial staff who is worth reading. The rest are raving lunatics.

[wideawake]

There was actually some clown on FR complaining about her rearrest as well.

She was supposed to do 20 years - a pansy judge and a broken penal system reduced it to 14 years and then 7 years, and then California "accidentally" released her a year early after only 6 years - less than a third of the time she should have done.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Can’t believe this is the Strib. I don’t read it (:O) so it’s a surprise to me that they allow her to write.

This Olson thing is hilarity. I find it especially funny that she was psychologically prepared to go home and sent back at the very last minute. Perfect.

I am of the strong opinion that she is a sociopath and has no remorse whatsoever for the murder and the lying.

[dragnet2]

Olson’s chorus of St. Paul supporters is up in arms. They have condemned her re-arrest as some kind of crime against humanity.

Nice...This is the same crowd up there in Minnesota that collected one million dollars to support Mrs. Olson.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

I assure you I am no clown.