It is what it is but...



INTRODUCTION

It is no secret that the United States has thousands of innocent people incarcerated who have been denied

justice; others may be guilty but their sentence is out of proportion to their part in the crime and they have just as much right to fight for their freedom as the innocent.

We may not agree with Florida law but...

it is what it is!

In 2010 Jennifer Mee, then aged 19, set up a date with a young man she contacted on facebook. He

was under the impression that he was going on a date but Jennifer's motive was robbery. They agreed

to meet at a certain place and it was at this location that Jennifer and her two male friends mugged the victim, a mugging which ended up fatally when the victim was shot.

There is no doubt that none of the trio ever intended to kill the victim but that the one who pulled the trigger

got carried away with the moment.

Under Florida law, all participants of a fatal robbery are as equally guilty of murder as the one who pulled

the trigger.

Jennifer's lawyer decided to defend the case for reasons unknown. It is understood that Jennifer was offered

a plea bargain but it is not known what the details of this was.

She was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

Jennifer's lawyer took the case to court again in 2013 to appeal on the basis that the one who pulled the

trigger was acting independently.

My own thoughts about this is that Jennifer is guilty of murder according to Florida law. This means that

even if Jennifer's accomplice was acting independently, it does not change the fact that she is guilty.

However, there are some questions which I would like the answer to; they are:

1 What determines whether murder is first degree, second degree, or third degree?

2 What justification is there for Jennifer's sentence of life without parole?

3 Is Jennifer a risk to society if she was released?

Jennifer is responsible for the death of a young man but did not kill him or ever intended to kill him.

It certainly was not a premeditated murder. The robbery was premeditated though.

Is there justification for Jennifer's sentence? 

Who can explain that to me? 

In New Zealand, only one person has ever been sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of

parole and that was the man who carried out the Christchurch (NZ) mosque shootings on March 15, 2019.

It means that those who are sentenced to murder are released at some stage.

There is only two cases in New Zealand when someone has served time of imprisonment for murder, been

released them committed another murder.

On that basis there is very little chance of Jennifer committing a similar crime if she were to be released,

especially since she has good family support.

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE

Bob Stewart has been campaigning for Jennifer Mee since late 2018 when he watched a TV program hosted by British broadcaster Piers Morgan featuring Jennifer Mee. Read his other articles on Jennifer's case on www.freejennifer.wordpress.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

Justice for Jennifer

Image
Written by R. A. Stewart A criminal justice system needs to be fair to everyone; those affected by the offender’s action and the offender. Sentences must reflect the seriousness of the crime taking into account the various aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Justice can mean different things to different people.  I can tell you what justice is not. It is not a means of taking revenge on people who have wronged you. A sound justice system should not be an “Eye for an eye” system where whatever the offender did to someone then he or she faces the same punishment. The “Get tough on crime” rhetoric spouted by politicians in the US and other countries around the world is only peddling to the vigilant brigade who are baying for blood. It may win some votes, and it may make some voters feel good for a while, but at the end of the day nothing changes. Voters must be getting fed up with politicians who jump on the prevailing bandwagon. America already has the toughest sentences in the...
Read more

Jennifer needs your help

Image
Written by R. A. Stewart Jennifer Mee was convicted of first degree murder but it was a murder she did not carry out herself or one which there was no intent or premeditation involved. How is this so you may be wondering. In Florida if someone dies as a result of another crime such as robbery then all participants are equally guilty of the death irrespective of the part they played. Here is a summary of the case: In 2010 Jennifer, then aged 19, agreed to go out on a date with a young man she had contacted on Facebook. Jennifer’s motive was robbery, not romance, and with the help of two male friends she tried to rob her date, however, in the struggle he was fatally shot. Under Florida law, all participants in a fatal robbery are equally guilty of first degree murder. This is known as the “Felony rule.” There is no room for discretion in the application of this rule. One is either guilty of it or not.  Intent or lack of it is not taken into consideration as it should be which means s...
Read more