Letter to Todd Smola and Stephen Brewer:
After reading this article in the Marlborough Patch, I am astounded that this is even an issue. To summarize, you have an individual out on bail 18 months after an armed robbery charge in which a sawed off shotgun was used. Possession of the firearm alone carries a 10 year Federal sentence (NFA 1934) While out on bail, this individual allegedly committed 2 additional armed robberies using a revolver with the serial number defaced. Possession of this firearm carries an additional Federal penalty as a felony under GCA 1968. Notwithstanding 3 armed robberies and the applicable state charges regarding the firearms, this individual, found guilty of the charges faces a substantial prison sentence; By some estimations, something on the order of 300 years.
Now this begs a couple of questions-
1) Why, when certain individuals in the House and Senate are working diligently to restrict further the rights of legal, law abiding gun owners, are we not stringently enforcing the multitude of laws we already have? I would insist that you (as my representation) propose these questions to those legislators when these sorts of bills arise.
2) Why is a person facing a 10 year Federal penalty, various state penalties, and accused of using a sawed off shotgun out on bail at all? Further, I would ask why this individual has waited 18 months for a “fair and speedy trial” ? Shall we wait until a legislator’s family member is killed at some convenience store before this is a problem? How many heinous crimes does an individual have to commit before bail is denied at all and person goes to trial in a reasonable period of time?
This individual is now being held on $50,000 bail as well. After Deval Patrick signed “Melissa’s Bill” last year, you would think that prosecutors and judges would take these sorts of offenses a little more seriously. Using the above as context, they obviously didn’t get the message. Apparently, they mock the legislature and their efforts to get crimes such as this under some degree of control in the Commonwealth.
Judges thumbing their noses at the legislature and, by proxy, the constituency, need to be sanctioned. Before the constituency starts thumbing their noses at your efforts altogether, and telling the legislature to pound sand when they pass yet another firearms law that won’t be followed by criminals, I would suggest that an effort be made to get the judicial branch in line with the efforts of the community to ensure the safety of its citizens.
Paul McCarthy
Warren, MA