Shooter of Alexandria,LA, Policemen Had Extensive Criminal Record

The Alexandria, LA, Daily Town Talk ^ | 02-22-03 | Goodnight, Mandy M.

[Theodore R.]

He had been in and out of trouble with the law before his fatal Thursday standoff with Alexandria police.

Twenty-five-year-old Anthony J. Molette got his first glimpse of the inside of the Rapides Parish Jail in 1995, according to court records.

[Theodore R.]

Why do so many jurors have so much sympathy for this kind of low-life? Or was the situation one of liberal judges overruling jurors?

[templar]

Why do so many jurors have so much sympathy for this kind of low-life? Or was the situation one of liberal judges overruling jurors?

Where do you get that from the article? Is there more elsewhere? The article seems to indicate that it was the lack of witness and victim testimony that resulted in the dropped charges.

[Theodore R.]

Well, what I meant is that so many criminals have long rap sheets long before they are seriously reprimanded for much of anything. Why is there so much leniency early on? It's almost like the suspect cannot be prosecuted without his consent.

[Man of the Right]

The left politicians who oppose 2 strikes legislation, mandatory sentencing and the death penalty should be required to attend the funeral of every cop killed in the line of duty, spend time with their family, and be taxed for their children's support.

[templar]

Why is there so much leniency early on?

In this case, I suspect that the police and judges knew the guy belonged in jail. Sounds like he and his brother were a little mafia that stayed out of prison by intimidating the witnesses and victims into silence. No judge or cop can put anyone in jail without some kind of testimony or evidence that they did the crime. One of them's dead now and they can't do the mafia routine any more, I'll bet the other goes down real quick. Damn shame the cops got killed before the perp.

[JimRed]

Sounds like an ideal candidate for the "Star Chamber". Too bad it was only a fictional movie.

[BOBWADE]

I guess it was the evil gun that made him do it. He should have been serving life in prison. The "Project Exile" program as used in Va would have put him away for 10 years in 1998. Sounds like there would have been more survivors had he been dealt with properly in the past.

[BOBWADE]

The firearm possesion during the drug deals should have put him away for 10 years by itself.

[templar]

The firearm possesion during the drug deals should have put him away for 10 years by itself.

Was he convicted of the drug deals? If so, I wonder why he wasn't put away. If not, then the firearm possession during the deal wasn't a valid charge. Or was he convicted of any other felony? Maybe they had prosecutors intimidated as well? The article doesn't give enough details of his prior record. It does mention they had trouble prosecuting because they looked alike. In any event, it seems good that one of them is dead now.

[Shooter 2.5]

Here's your answer:

"The Rapides Parish District Attorney's Office had trouble prosecuting the brothers, because they looked alike."

I was told of two brothers that were twins and when one would do a crime, the other would make sure he was in a public place with plenty of witnesses.
It always seemed to me that it would be so much easier to convict at least one of them by identifying the broken nose and teeth after he was caught.

[templar]

The "Project Exile" program as used in Va would have put him away for 10 years in 1998

I thought 'project exile' was for minor or unknowing violations by people that weren't really dangerous anyway. In any event, the article doesn't seem to indicate he was a convicted felon (unless I missed something), in which case firearms charges wouldn't apply.

[Atlas Sneezed]

"Molette was armed with an AK-47-type assault rifle"

At least they are no longer claiming that it was fully-automatic.

[archy]

Why do so many jurors have so much sympathy for this kind of low-life? Or was the situation one of liberal judges overruling jurors.

It's not so much that jurors necessarily see such vermin as symopathetic, as that they see perjuring cops as equally detestable, and as little more than criminal competitors using their badges and the courts to eliminate those who cut into their own criminal operations in the slightest way.

As for the judges, it's more common that they're bought off with either cash or politically horsetraded favours than swayed by their personal inclinations, liberal or otherwise.

What little respect has been earned by police in general by the few honest and decent ones within their ranks who not only themselves maintain an honest and professional demeanor, but will also tolerate nothing less from their good ol' boy pals who lie, cheat, steal, and in Louisiana at least, sometimes murder with the best of 'em, is rapidly being squandered by the others, well in the majority.

Indeed, when the last shooting of a cop here in Memphis occurred [by a mentally disturbed fireman] many of the locals were fairly sympathetic to the poor guy who bit the bullet- until his bretheren used his funeral as an excuse to block off the streets to all other traffic, just to remind the citizens they supposedly serve of their Godlike powers. Meanwhile, their search for headlinnes and at least some positive publicity seems a bit shy on results....

For the most part, they're showing themselves to be little more than another well-organized criminal gang, though better dressed and equipped [sometimes!] from the profits and funds they've acquired via extortion of the taxpayers. And you wonder why some juries have so little regard for their word or evidence presented by them on the stand?

-archy-/-