The Real Story Behind The Spitball Felon: You Never Saw This In The Mainstream Media

Contra Costa Times ^ | On Jun 7 2002 | Meisterbrewer

[meisterbrewer]

MARTINEZ - A judge sentenced 13-year-old Jeffrey Figueroa to a week in Juvenile Hall Thursday for damaging a classmate's eye with a pointed spitball and reprimanded his parents for taking the confidential case to the media.

The Figueroas, along with family and friends who testified about the boys' good character, maintained that the spitball's direct hit was an accident. A child can't just be a child anymore, mother Yvette Figueroa testified.

[meisterbrewer]

A lot of people thought these two "kids" were treated unfairly. But, the lamestream media didn't tell the whole story. The real question here is, why didn't ABC and CBS fill us in on all the facts? Answer: they love a good opportunity to attack the justice system, Republicans, etc, and never let the facts get in the way.

[Jen]

Gimme a 'D'
Gimmie an 'O'
Gimmie an 'H'
What's it spell?

DOH!

Have you contributed any yet?

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[VRWC_minion]

Not my kids.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Good research.

Aain, one learns that mere "internet rumors" are more accurate than the national press corpse.

[curmudgeonII]

How do you put a point on a spitball?

[meisterbrewer]

It was actually a tinfoil wrapper off of a piece of gum, tightly rolled into an arrow-like object. Another fact not brought out by the media.

[yooper]

These boys should have gotten a good old fashioned ass-whippin' early on. The paddle may have straightened them out. Now it's too late; a boy has been blinded, and in my opinion this current punishment is too lenient considering the permanence of what happened to the victim.

That said, this judge should administer the law and keep his editorial lecturing to himself. It was his cohorts in the legal profession who presided over the banishment of corporal punishment from schools in the first place. Now he sees what happens when the fear of discipline is gone from our schools and he climbs up on a soapbox.

A disgusting performance all around....

[meisterbrewer]

I think the judge was probably more embarrassed by the press coverage that made her and the prosecutors look bad. Can't say as I blame her for being angry, but she should have taken her anger out in the sentencing, not an a rant. The sentence was far too light, particularly given the history of violence.

[TheBattman]

I must say, yooper---WELL SAID!

[yooper]

Oh, the Judge is a female (Araceli?). Thanks for the clarification; actually, the rant makes more sense in my mind now......

[yooper]

Thank you, sir.

[herewego]

nailed it!!

[meisterbrewer]

I couldn't figure it out from the name, either. I picked it up from one of the sentences:

"I've never seen a case where there have been this many discipline contacts," she said.

[willyone]

Get real. The average murderer gets out in four years. And they wanted to give him eight? He may be a jerk but I don't want to support his sorry ass for eight years for a spitball. A personal injury like this is a civil matter. More than likely these idiots will get in more trouble.

[meisterbrewer]

A negligent injury is a civil matter. An intentional injury is called assault, and is a criminal matter. Now, that doesn't mean he can't pursue this civil remedies, but I doubt this family will have much to give. How much would you take for the loss of one eye?

Sounds like you have an axe to grind here, but I think you are way off. First, an "average murderer", whatever that means, gets far more than four years. Give me specifics if you want to back that up. Second, the prosecutors and the justice system should not be basing sentences on how long you want to "support" him. Sentences are supposed to send messages, which they stopped doing a long time ago. The problem with not giving a longer sentence is that he will probably become the murderer that you whine about because he has learned that he can blind a person and get away with doing community service.

[Pushi]

You are absolutely correct. There is nothing like a whipping to bring tears to the eyes and sanity to the brain. That is the problem with too many kids today. I got my share and loved and respected my parents. My kids (37, 38, and 39) got theirs, and if the fact that they each telephone me several times a week, sent me cards on my birthday, and spend every Christmas with my wife and I is any indication of it, they love and respect me. I have actually had them tell me that they appreciate the discipline that I dispensed. They all say that that is what made good kids out of them. We had no problem with dope, alcohol, or jail when they were growing up. They all finished college and have decent jobs.