Too Nice, Too Lenient?

TOO NICE, TOO LENIENT?

A Guest Commentary by

Renee' Miskell

On Friday, February 5, 2010, the TimesDaily reports that Kenneth Sylvester pleads guilty to manslaughter in the beating death of Donnie Guyse in Judge Mike Jones courtroom; thus avoiding the possible 99-year prison sentence Kenneth Sylvester could have received had he been convicted of murder. Kenneth Sylvester faces up to 16 years in prison as part of a plea agreement.

I am sure that Judge Mike Jones and the District Attorneys of Lauderdale County are very nice people - maybe too nice to be in their current positions of protecting the public. Getting 16 years in prison for taking another person's life is definitely not enough time to serve in prison (if he stays in prison that long)!

Is anyone else taking notice of how lenient they have been on murderers?
You are clearly sending the wrong message to murderers and to violent criminals.

It is time that we get officials in office who are hard on criminals and time to stop making short-termed prison sentences and plea agreements with these criminals!

If we need more jobs, and the prisons are over crowded, build more prisons, hire more guards and take action to protect the public. Someone who murders is clearly sick and when that person gets out, he or she will do it again.

Wake up and take action people...this is our town, this is our safety that we are talking about here. Let's not be passive about such an important issue.

Renee' is a Rogersville resident who was close friends with murder victim Jennifer Bragg. It has been exactly two years today since Jennifer's murder. Her killer has 23 years left to serve on his sentence. Let's hope he serves it all.

Shoalanda