Norfolk Sheriff Michael Bellotti wrote a piece for the Globe’s Podium section that I saw on-line today…and I agree with him. Considering the parade of slugs that have paraded before us during the Bulger trial, crooks from both sides of the law it turns out, Di Masi’s offenses are looking puny and the price he is paying looks outrageous. The treatment he has received from the US Attorney’s and the US Federal Prison system amounts to a complete denial of justice. And he may lose his life because of it. Our Governor, our federal leaders, the President and his AG should right this wrong before it goes any further.
Please read Bellotti’s argument, it makes sense:
www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2013/07/18/podiumdimasi/igMVLtLk98bHVREUX2KZvN/story.html
died in prison long before his prison term was up, and all the family got back were the ashes. While I feel some sympathy for DiMasi’s condition, I would prefer that the system deal with the problem of inmates who are near the end of life and apply the rule universally, rather than making an exception. I choose to believe a policy that treats these people with some dignity and humanity can be devised and applied so that he and his family get some level of compassion as a rule, rather than as an exception.
There was a ton of controversy when former Gov. George Ryan (R-IL), one of the three living IL Governors to be serving time in prison, was initially prevented from seeing his wife at her deathbed one last time. After a lot of media complaints from his family, supporters, and lobbying by his attorney and predecessor Gov. Thompson (R-IL), he was finally allowed a furlough day to see her. Of course, a lot of people were outraged he got this ‘special’ treatment but I viewed it as decent, small ‘c’ Christian treatment, that any prisoner should be entitled to. Ryan was a bit of a prick in office and definitely broke the law, but I respect the work he did to end the IL death penalty and the compassion he showed prisoners while in office, seems like a right rather than a privilege to visit a dying spouse.
Wyshak is handling the probation “scandal”. He took it because he wanted a Bulger and believes aeveryone in the state house is corrupt.
Wyshak tortured Sal hoping he would make something up about someone on in state houses.
If sal did he would have been taken off the buses and brought to an oncologist right away.
This is how the feds play. And they have no oversight. The Wyshaks of the world are their own captains. Dangerous people.
of our own federal criminal injustice system and the deals they routinely make with murderers and drug dealers and the aggressive prosecution of political figures’s minor transgressions to cover their own butts.
Never mind…………………….
in particular. I always thought the federal prosecution of then Speaker Charlie Flaherty was overly aggressive and for seemingly minor transgressions. The then U.S. Attorney repeatedly leaked accusations to the Globe about supposed bribes Flaherty was receiving from lobbyists, including free lodging at someone’s vacation home, as I recall.
But there was apparently never enough evidence to charge him with this. Finally, the prosecutors decided to go with what they had, which was that Flaherty had apparently fabricated some business expense receipts in doing his taxes. For that, he was charged with a felony and had to resign. He didn’t go to prison, but his political career was over.
The investigation of Flaherty also brought the legislative process on Beacon Hill to a virtual halt at the time. I was working for the House Post Audit Committee, which virtually stopped operating and has never recovered, it seems.
Had Flaherty not be a higly visible political figure, I can’t imagine he would have been audited, much less threatened with a prison sentence for that tax receipt business.