Keystone Kops lose Komputer — Karr rejects plea deal!
One-time JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark
Karr rejected a deal from prosecutors that would have freed him on probation in
exchange for a guilty plea on child pornography charges, his lawyer said
Thursday. Do you think the fact that they lost his computer has anything to do
with this farce?
One-time JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect John Mark Karr rejected a deal from prosecutors that would have freed him on probation in exchange for a guilty plea on child pornography charges, his lawyer said Thursday.
“My client has maintained his innocence throughout these proceedings, and he is not going to plead guilty to a crime that he did not commit,” Karr’s attorney, Robert Amparan, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We have no intention of accepting that offer.”
The deal, presented Tuesday, would have waived three of the five misdemeanor child pornography possession charges against Karr if he pleaded guilty to the two remaining ones. He would get credit for time served, would be placed on probation for three years and would be required to register as a sex offender.
The plea deal offer came the same day that Sonoma County authorities admitted they lost Karr’s computer, seized in 2001, that they said held the five illicit images.
“They say they have a mirror image. I haven’t been provided with a mirror image,” Amparan said.
Time after time, prosecutors offer plea deals because they can’t prove a case; but, they’re afraid of screwing up their conviction stats — before they run for Attorney General.
The next step usually requiring wasting taxpayers’ money on an ill-fated case that gets overturned on appeal even if a guilty verdict is returned. It’s still good old-fashioned American politics. Doesn’t have a damned thing to do with jurisprudence.
Posted: Fri - September 22, 2006 at 09:13 AM