So, my girlfriend calls me at work, telling me that she just heard five gunshots fired from outside our apartment.  She looks out the window and laying in the Marathon gas station that sits caddy corner to our kitchen window, there's a guy laying in blood while a woman is screaming that he's dead.  Awesome.

 

I get off the phone and search for it on the local news websites.  WLWT is the first to post anything about it.  The police are saying it's a guy, name of Aaron Nelson.  He's 22 years old.  So I look on the Clerk of Courts' website.  I'm not saying he's the same guy on the CoC's site, but there is a 22 year old Aaron Nelson who's been arrested multiple times for classics like burglary, criminal endagerment, obstruction of police business, pot possession, aggravated menacing, criminal damaging...and I'm thinking to myself, "How in the HELL is this guy still on the streets?" 

 

Is there anyone out there that works within the justice system and can explain this complete failure of public protection?

No one will be able to give an sufficient answer without knowing whether any of those "arrests" led to any convictions.

Isn't it the job of the prosecutor to put together a goddamn case?  Sounds like someone's not doing their job...

 

Or, y'know, it could be the other way around.  This Aaron Nelson could be completely innocent of all the charges that he's been accused of and it's a matter of wrong place/wrong time.  Everytime.

There is no jail space in most city/county facilities in which to house these lovely people.  Sad, but true.  The jail is literally full!  Only the worst of the worst are detained for any length of time.  Guy like this one know that they can continue comitting certain crimes with near impunity.

Too many of our municipal and county judges are too lenient. Some, sadly, also play racial favorites and believe the cops are unfairly profiling. Some of these punks need a jail cell dropped on their head, with their parents punished when their kids conduct juvenile offenses. But the kids don't fear anything. And yes, our juvenile detention facilities and jails are too full. Teach them respect of others and a fear getting in trouble when they're young, or they'll be in the revolving door until they either wake up, get killed or kill someone else.

people get arrested often for crimes they had nothing to do with.  For example they may have just fit a description of a suspect. Not to say this is the case with this guy.  You can go to the "docket" section of the clerks site and see what happened with the cases.

 

SInce you asked for some input from someone who interacts with the legal system  and offenders on daily basis (in a human services capacity)-

here are some thoughts

 

While I think the most dangerous offenders must go to prison, less dangerous people do better in correctional halfway houses (not a homeless shelter) where they have to work and start being more responsible for themselves. This includes accessing drug treatment, mental health, employment and other type services. Some of us figured out responsible community living on our own, or had family support.-Some need external control (threat of loss of freedom) and some hand holding to wise up.  Instead of being a complete burden to society like they would in prison, they have to work and consequently contribute millions in income taxes and child support.

 

Once someone has a prison record (even for non violent crimes), the chances of them getting employment are much slimmer. No excuses for illegal behavior, but that is just reality that people get desperate  and make very poor choices. Since the whole community suffers when they reoffend, I am open to anything to reduce recidivism.  I would rather have most offenders learning a trade and be paying child support and taxes. if anyone gets bent out of shape, please reread the part where I say violent offenders should go to prison until we figure out a better way to keep the community safe.

 

As we know, most violent offenders are going to get out-I would rather have them go to step down programs like the correctional halfway houses so they can be better monitored and also be responsible for themselves.  Turning them out onto the street w/o support- not good. Prison mostly only works while they are in there, and then the community if left to deal with what we get when they come out-although I have seen some people sufficiently spooked by the experience and are more open to some changes when they get out-assuming they have some supports waiting for them. 

 

Anyway, it is too bad more prevention activities could not be done. I am talking with children---loooong before they hit the system.  When you meet offenders, they have a lot of common characteristics- childhood neglect and abuse first and foremost, unaddressed addiction and mental health issues as well. This does not excuse criminal behavior in anyway and I have found it is extremely rare for  an offender to offer childhood abuse as an excuse for behavior (defense attorneys are another story).

 

Prison makes a lot of people feel good (in part b/c historically we love punishment in our society). If it worked better I would feel more positive about it, but since it does not I am open to ideas to keep us all safer. 

 

That is absolutely f*cking disgusting that this guy was out roaming the streets with no one watching him! But i guess this is what happens when people lobby for equal and fair rights for KNOWN FELONS!! F*ckin fry the guy with EVERYONE watching!! But who am i kidding, the guy will probably be out in a few years or will die in prison due to his trial continuing on and on and on and on and on for the next 30 plus years! Evey judge/attorney/whoever should be and needs to be held responsible for what this animal did to the poor little girl and the possible other victims! No one in this country is held liable for anything anymore! Dont worry, ya eff up? Someone will bail you out or we'll find someone else to put the blame on. Where's the mother of Kirkland, was he a pure angel who wouldnt step on an ant and was volunteering at the senior home around the corner?

There is no jail space in most city/county facilities in which to house these lovely people.  Sad, but true.  The jail is literally full!  Only the worst of the worst are detained for any length of time.  Guy like this one know that they can continue comitting certain crimes with near impunity.

 

That's not really true.  The ODRC and counties will stack them up if need be - turning single cells into doubles and doubles into triples.  Violent offenders are never just let go because there just isn't the room.

 

There are several reasons why an arrest may not lead to convictions.  Unfortunately, many of the arrests of truly guilty suspects either thrown out or drastically pled down are due to illegal searches/arrests that led to the damning evidence or confession.... the whole fruit of the poisonous tree thing. 

 

 

Send them to Iraq and only give them a gun until well after they land and are trained.

That is absolutely f*cking disgusting that this guy was out roaming the streets with no one watching him! But i guess this is what happens when people lobby for equal and fair rights for KNOWN FELONS!! F*ckin fry the guy with EVERYONE watching!! But who am i kidding, the guy will probably be out in a few years or will die in prison due to his trial continuing on and on and on and on and on for the next 30 plus years! Evey judge/attorney/whoever should be and needs to be held responsible for what this animal did to the poor little girl and the possible other victims! No one in this country is held liable for anything anymore! Dont worry, ya eff up? Someone will bail you out or we'll find someone else to put the blame on. Where's the mother of Kirkland, was he a pure angel who wouldnt step on an ant and was volunteering at the senior home around the corner?

 

Why not fry them?  Because we have an imperfect legal system.  How many innocent people are you willing to have killed in your name?

Come on, we're not talking about the questionable ones. 

Come on, we're not talking about the questionable ones.  

 

How do you determine the questionable ones?  Isn't that the point of the trial?  Yet there are still errors.

 

How about we take all the pot dealers out of jail and keep the murderers and rapists in jail?

 

Hey, now there's an idea!

How about we take all the pot dealers out of jail and keep the murderers and rapists in jail?

 

x3

Come on, we're not talking about the questionable ones.  

 

I'm disappointed you chose a punch line to make a serious point.

That is absolutely f*cking disgusting that this guy was out roaming the streets with no one watching him! But i guess this is what happens when people lobby for equal and fair rights for KNOWN FELONS!! F*ckin fry the guy with EVERYONE watching!! But who am i kidding, the guy will probably be out in a few years or will die in prison due to his trial continuing on and on and on and on and on for the next 30 plus years! Evey judge/attorney/whoever should be and needs to be held responsible for what this animal did to the poor little girl and the possible other victims! No one in this country is held liable for anything anymore! Dont worry, ya eff up? Someone will bail you out or we'll find someone else to put the blame on. Where's the mother of Kirkland, was he a pure angel who wouldnt step on an ant and was volunteering at the senior home around the corner?

 

Why not fry them? Because we have an imperfect legal system. How many innocent people are you willing to have killed in your name?

 

We have an imperfect legal system that allowed this guy on the streets after how many warnings that he was a walking monster with no respect towards his own life or anybody else he came across. Im sick of always playing the sympathy card with suspected and proven murderers, rapists, sex offenders, all the way to breaking and entering. As soon as you prove you cannot live within the means of society and contribute to a life of crime, then you need to go. It is no coincidence or chance that this guy was picked up for all of those crimes he commited. Dont put yourself near trouble and you wont find yourself in trouble.

The guy could have been put away, but I'm sure some pothead was already taking up his spot, so there just wasn't enough room. We have a problem with priorities in our culture.

It's now being reported that this Aaron Nelson was charged on 6/6 with abducting and assaulting the woman he later shot on 6/15.  So yeah, there you go.  There's no reason this @$$hole should've been on the streets.  Yay, justice system!

Wow, some higher up needs to be responsible for this guy being able to roam the streets freely