3-Strikes Law Court Ruling

Re “State High Court Ruling Toughens 3-Strikes Law,” May 15: The California Supreme Court says that the three-strikes law was very clear, but I certainly didn’t know that a single criminal act could count as multiple strikes. I also didn’t know that nonviolent crimes could count as strikes.

Now we see Russell Benson get 25 years to life for stealing a carton of cigarettes. That may be allowed by the language of the law, but is that really what the voters had in mind?

MIGUEL MUNOZ

Los Angeles

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The court’s decision makes it more important than ever to temper our state’s three-strikes law with common sense, fairness and humane consideration. I worked for more than 10 years in the L.A. County district attorney’s office, so I understand the law enforcement perspective. I have been a victim of crime. But I’m also the father of a young man serving an unduly long prison sentence under our harsh three-strikes law.

The pendulum has swung too far on the side of severe penalties. What does this say about a society and a justice system that have become as vicious as the crimes they seek to punish? What will we really gain by raising a generation of young people in prison?

I recommend that the third strike must be a serious, violent felony. As in death penalty cases, inform juries that they are dealing with a “strikes” case and the possible consequences. Give judges more discretion to weed out the cases for which the three-strikes law was not intended. Finally, instead of this intense drive to incarcerate more and more young people, let’s put more resources into education and rehabilitation.

AL ALBERGATE

Hermosa Beach