Story 1: Most charges dropped in Manchester gun case
MANCHESTER — Prosecutors have dropped a majority of the charges against a Manchester-by-the-Sea man accused by his estranged wife and police of preparing for martial law with an arsenal of weapons in their Bridge Street condo last month.Okay, that sounds good, right? They finally realized that Girard hasn't done anything wrong with regard to gun laws. However:Gregory Girard's Feb. 9 arrest was heavily publicized, after police pulled a collection of 11 rifles and two handguns, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition, from his home, as well as other weapons and military-style gear.
Whitehill tried yesterday to convince Judge Richard Mori to reconsider his decision to hold Girard without bail in light of the reduction in charges.Prosecutor Michelle DeCourcey opposed the request, saying that the facts of the case have not changed, only the charges.
Mori agreed, denying Whitehill's request.
Got that? Despite the majority of the charges being dropped - and the remainder of the charges being little more than a misdemeanor - Girard is still in jail and cannot get out on bail.
Story 2:Driver Arrested In Bourne Hit & Run Death
A waitress was arrested Wednesday morning for the hit-and-run death of a teenager in Bourne New Year's morning.With me so far? This is a hit-and-run accident where someone was killed. She hit this boy, killing him, and left the scene. Now, given that it was early New Year's morning, it's anyone's guess [alcohol] what [alcohol] the cause [alcohol] of the crash [alcohol] was...
17-year-old Andrew Dexter of Wareham was walking home from a party on Head of the Bay Road January 1 when he was struck and killed.
Here's the kicker:
She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment in Falmouth District Court and was set free on $1,000 bail. Her attorney had no comment.Nice, huh?
So, in the state of Massachusetts, if you LEGALLY jump through all the hoops needed to get a Class A License to Carry Firearms and LEGALLY purchase a bunch of stuff but it makes someone nervous, you can be held for months on end with no bail while most of the charges are dropped. Kill someone with your car, leave the scene, and you're out on bail for the price of a large screen TV.
- Own guns? Go to jail and stay there, freak. No bail for you.
- Kill someone and flee the scene? $1,000 and you're free to go.
That is all.
12 comments:
You act supprised. This is the same state that allowed Ted Kennedy to go free of the same offense (vehicular murder). I know that there is a reason you live there, but it looks like time to move to me.
Looks like Manchester-By-The-Sea just plain sucks even compared to the rest of MA. Check this out: http://wbztv.com/local/arrested.for.yelling.2.997963.html
There's a lot about that Manchester case that stinks to me. I tried looking at the Massachusetts law code online, to see if maybe the wording of the law on bail had a specific clause that applied to this case.
I couldn't find it.
I read at least a dozen different sections that looked like they might be relevant, but all were either peripheral, or a mass of legalese so dense I couldn't decipher it. I couldn't tell what the law is on bail eligibility in Massachusetts. I'm a smart guy who knows something about reading lawyerspeak, but I couldn't find an answer to this relatively simple and obvious question.
How the hell did that state get so screwed up?
Sad...Very very sad.
Massachusetts: You're more likely to get away with murder here - but don't you dare buy a firearm.
Well, not _legally_. Buy one from your crack dealer and you'll probably be fine.
May I suggest relocation to a sunnier clime such as the Republic of Texas? We have sun, beautiful women, low cost of living, no state income tax and guns.
Anon,
Oh, I'm not surprised in the least. Disgusted and infuriated, yes. But not surprised...
mopar,
MBTS is one of those snooty little enclaves one finds whenever people have more money than brains.
wolfwalker,
Blame the Kennedys. It's as good a reason as any...
DIMW,
"Sad" is putting it extremely charitably.
The "justice" system is far from it - we routinely give violent criminals mere slaps on the wrist, then come down like a ton of bricks on otherwise law-abiding citizens for victimless crimes.
elmo,
Good point. I'd wager if Mr. Girard had been arrested with a stolen Glock 22 he got off some homie in Dorchester, he's be out on bail already...
Thomas,
Believe me, Texas is on the short list of places I would like to relocate to...
Second only to NH, only because I can relocate to NH without quitting my job. Commuting from TX to north of Boston would be a bitch... ;)
Wow... That's a bit disheartening. Thanks for getting the two stories out there.
First time commentor on your blog here. Thanks for all the amusing posts and well said anecdotes! I have to say your posts on parenting are definitely my favorite, but legal musings are also always an enjoyable read.
:-|
Oh good.
No "MA SUCKS" post would be complete without the Shocked Face...
ARGHHH I think my blood pressure just spiked up ten points.
I may not like living in Michigan, but I can still say thank god it's not Mass.
Well you do know that it's guns that kill... duh!
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