The facts on this case are as follows: there was no maximum sentence attested to these two youths, in fact, both have met the minimum requirements of serving 8 years and both have already been released. While petitions are great, they must declare what the signers attest to, what the signers want to accomplish with the petition, who the petition will be presented to and above all, they must be signed and presented prior to the anticipated action.

While this may not make anyone feel "good" about the situation, I will relay two "TRUE" stories which involved youthful offeners, one occurring in the early 1970's, one occurring in the late 1800's:

Turning the Other Cheek

My mother worked with a couple, just a bit older than herself, this incident occurred in the early 70's, therefore they must have been in their late 40's or early 50's. They were a trusting couple, and always felt that people were good at heart, that everyone deserved a second chance. They lived in a very rural area, a safe, secure, rural area, about 15 miles from where we lived. The couple had gone to pay their bills and shop, when they returned home, they would learn that they had been robbed. I do not recall if the couple themselves had caught the 14 year-old-culprit or if someone else had caught him. The fact is, the couple refused to press charges. They felt that despite the fact that this 14-year-old was always in trouble, that he deserved a second chance. They felt that if someone showed the lad some compassion that he would learn from the experience.

One week later, he broke into their home and brutally murdered the couple. He was 14 and at the time, treated as a youthful offender, released when he was 21. The entire area was in an uproar when the seven years of confinement expired, especially the family, but the truth is despite their brutal murder, they were right - the compassion he was shown by receiving youthful offender status DID make him learn from the experience, as far as I know he has been nothing but a model citizen since his release.

Another story, local in nature, but also very true: in 1880, a relatively wealth, yet MEAN woman was shot by her grandson in our community. Her grandson was sole heir to her $70,000+ estate. He claimed to have been testing the caps in a shell he had mistakenly thought was unloaded. The fact was, this youth wanted to play the newly created stock market and get into real estate, but his grandmother, who raised him after the death of his parents, said no, he was to become a farmer. She even hired him out to her hired hands.

The youth made a few inquiries of neighbors prior to the shooting, asking what would happen to someone if they "accidentally" shot someone else? He was told by all that nothing happened in an accident such as he described. He had also been noted as saying he did not want to be a farmer, but wanted to invest in stocks and real estate.

Anyone knowing about unloaded shells, know that there are definite distinctions between loaded and unloaded shells, namely weight. There was truly no possible way that the shooting could have been an accident.

After a two year investigation the man was arrested and tried for the murder of his grandmother. After a lengthy, well-publicized trial, the judge recommended acquittal; declaring that the only motive was money, and he felt the youth would not murder for money. The jury, following the judge's recommendation, acquitted the man in five minutes.

The man remained in the community, becoming a well-respected, extremely wealthy businessman. I have gone over every detail of the trial, I have examined every newspaper account of the incident and truly believe that this was indeed a cold-blooded murder, but I also admit that our community would have suffered if this man would have been convicted.

What I am trying to say is, I agree, these children should be locked away forever, but, I also agree that they have been made responsible for their actions. I am an avenger of right - that is what my site is about, telling people about the wrongs that have been suffered by society as a whole or individuals, and attempting to make those wrongs right. I personally know that some things no matter how wrong they seem, will not be changed, or some people no matter how much wrong they do will not be punished for their wrongs, but I also know from personal experience that some people deserve a second chance.

If you want to be an avenger of justice, act accordingly. Make the injustice known. Act to correct the injustice, or to bring enough attention to the injustice that others, in positions of authority, have to react to what has happened.

Reread How Private Is Your Private Life and realize that I have made known this injustice, to my readers, to my families, to persons I speak with, I have contacted the County Clerk's Office, The DA's Office, several New York State Assemblymen, local newspapers and television stations and the Attorney Grievence Committee. I refuse to allow the people responsible for safeguarding my privacy to allow this matter to "slip through the cracks." I am relentless, but I am taking the appropriate action.

Although there have been times that I have felt my battle is fruitless, I have not allowed myself to "give up." One person can make a difference, but only when their actions are appropriate and timely.