Posted on 05/09/2004 11:36:21 PM PDT by lelio
It's long past time for former Bucks County state Rep. Thomas Druce to trade his khakis and polo shirt for prison blues.
Can it be nearly five years since the Republican golden boy ran over and killed a Harrisburg man, then fled and tried to cover up the fatal crash?
That's right.
The Druce case has become a textbook example of justice delayed - and nothing short of a disgrace.
Finally, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has issued a common-sense ruling striking down Druce's appeal of his jail sentence of two-to-four years.
The high court last week did the right thing by refusing to reverse Dauphin County Judge Joseph H. Kleinfelter's sentence of Druce.
Druce had challenged his jail time after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the July 1999 hit-and-run death of Vietnam veteran Kenneth Cains, 42. Druce claimed Kleinfelter created the appearance of bias during a presentencing interview with the Associated Press.
Kleinfelter, though, merely voiced what was on the minds of many observers: He remarked to the AP that it was "strange" that Druce continued to insist he struck a traffic sign on the night Cains was killed, even though he pleaded guilty to fleeing the accident and the cover-up.
The judge had Druce pegged about right as a guy who hoped to get off as easy and as early as possible. He's been successful so far.
Now he should go directly to jail.
Next up, though, could be a last-ditch legal gambit by the wily Druce: He's likely to claim credit against his jail term for the years he was out on bail.
That would be the final outrage in the case of this privileged defendant.
Realize that Druce - now the same age as his victim - has kept himself out of jail for most of the time with his appeal.
His defense lawyers refer to Druce's time on bail as house arrest, but the past 40 months hardly fit that description.
Druce has gone on vacation at the Jersey Shore, visited New York and Washington, attended parties and sporting events, and traveled to Harrisburg where he worked as a political consultant.
By all means, grant Druce credit for the 56 days he spent in a real jail. As for his claim to more time, here's hoping the courts reject that notion.
Meantime, the Dauphin County court should revoke Druce's bail immediately. Let Druce wage appeals from behind bars - like other confessed felons.
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