FLORIDA JUSTICE SYSTEM NEEDS CHANGING

 Written by R. A. Stewart
Jennifer Mee was sentenced to life without parole after she was found guilty of participating in a fatal robbery. Under Florida law, all those who take part in a robbery where someone dies is equally guilty of murder irrespective of whether they were directly or indirectly involved in the death.
In Jennifer's case, she set up a date with a young man after he contacted her on facebook but robbery rather than romance was her motive; her two male companions carried out the robbery or mugging as it would be more aptly described as. Jennifer's date was shot during the struggle which followed.
There was widespread interest in the case because Jennifer gained notoriety as a teenager as the "Hiccup Girl," after having an uncontrollable problem of hiccups.
Compare Jennifer's sentence with that of others who have received the same sentence. 
She has received the same sentence as a serial murderer.
Then there is the issue of whether she should have been charged with murder at all because under the dictionary's definition of murder and manslaughter, Jennifer should only have been charged with manslaughter.
Some may say, "This is Florida law," but if this is the case then Florida law makers have changed the definition of murder.
That being so, this is WRONG and needs to be put right.
It is the responsibility of the Florida governor to do something about this and to examine the cases of those like Jennifer who have been affected.
Imagine the outcry if not only a drunk driver was charged with driving under the influence but the passengers also; such a law would be similar to one which Jennifer was convicted of.
Jennifer appeared on a TV program called, "Women who murder, presented by Pier Morgan. I watched that program late last year (2018) and my reaction after learning of Jennifer's sentence was, "This is wrong."
I have been in contact with Jennifer since and have set up a petition for her release, so what can you do apart from filling out the petition?
1. Write to the Florida Governor
2. Write to the editors of newspapers in Florida
3. Tell your facebook friends to fill out the petition
4. Share the petition with your twitter followers
I think whatever you believe about Jennifer's particular case, think for a moment that not only has the family of the deceased lost someone but also Jennifer's family, and this could happen to any family given the fickle nature of the American justice system and the gun culture which exists in that country.
To sign the petition follow the directions in this link;
Conclusion
To summarise; I believe it is immoral to just lock up people for life without the possibility of parole unless the circumstances warrant it and in Jennifer Mee's case, it is unjustified. I have organised a petition which you can sign by going to; www.freejennifer.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SOCIAL STATUS & AMERICAN SENTENCING

Image
Sentencing based on social standing At high school when someone got the cane or strap, the other kids would make fun of the person if they were not that popular but if they were popular among their peers then after getting the strap or cane it would always  be, "Mr so and so is a w*****. It is the same in real life where people get treated according to their personality, attractiveness, and their social status.  As far as the American justice system is concerned, I think it would be extremely simplistic to say "Everyone is treated the same way," and the various sentences handed down by judges reflects this. The sentencing of Jennifer Mee is a prime example. She was convicted of first degree murder. What was her crime? She participated in a fatal robbery and all those who took part in a robbery where someone dies are equally guilty of murder whether were directly or indirectly involved in the death. As far as Jennifer's situation is concerned, it app
Read more

JENNIFER'S CASE HAS A CASE FOR A PRESIDENTIAL PARDON

Image
  Jennifer Mee's case needs to be reviewed Jennifer Mee was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first degree murder in 2010. She was 19 at the time.  The case Jennifer set up a date with a young man whom she had contacted on Facebook but with the intention of robbing him. Her two male friends carried out the robbery and it was during this process that one of them shot the victim. Jennifer did not ever intend for this to happen. There are three factors that need to be considered in cases involving murder because not all cases are the same. There are factors which need to be considered are determining factors in sentencing. I have come up with a list: 1. Was it premeditated/intentional? 2. Was any malice involved? 3. Was revenge a factor? The answer to these questions in Jennifer's case is, "No." Another question is, "Who's responsible for the discharge of a firearm?" Is it the person who is in possessi
Read more

Just what is the meaning of intent?

Image
Just what is the meaning of intent? Written by R. A. Stewart In the United States a person can be sent to prison for the rest of their life for a murder they did not commit and for a death that had no intent involved. How? In many states any person who is involved in a crime which leads to a person’s death can be charged with first degree murder.  Whether they had anything to do with the death or not it does not matter. Just being a party to the crime makes them equally guilty of murder as the one who committed the actual murder. It all boils down to who's responsible for the fatality and whether the actions of another contributed to another person’s death. This is called the “Felony rule.”  You do not even have to be responsible for the person’s death to be responsible for their death; if you just idly stood by and did nothing while others attacked and killed someone then your inaction caused another person’s death and therefore it means you are partly responsible for the fata
Read more