Murderer Pleads to Avoid DP: The California woman facing charges for the kidnapping, rape, and murder of an 8-year-old in March 2009 pled guilty this morning, according to this story in the Stockton Record. Prior to her negotiated guilty plea, San Joaquin County prosecutors had intended to seek the death penalty for Melissa Huckaby, whose own daughter was a playmate of the victim, Sandra Cantu. Several days after the little girl disappeared, farm workers found her body stuffed in a suitcase linked to Huckaby. Because California has a death penalty, which this murderer wanted to avoid, San Joaquin County will skip a trial and appeals which would have cost taxpayers millions. One may ask whether the cost of the life without parole sentence that 29-year-old Huckaby will serve would exceed that of the cost of her execution if the killing had occurred in Virginia, where such cases are completed in less than half the time that it takes in California.
Arizona Law a Political Plus?: San Francisco Chronicle columnist Debra Sanders authored this piece discussing the politics surrounding Arizona's adoption of the federal law on illegal immigration. She notes that a recent New York Times/CBS poll found that 51% support the law as it is currently written while 9% think that it does not go far enough. More interesting is her analysis of how the two political parties have reacted to this law compared to previous immigration reform proposals. Senator John McCain supported "pathway to citizenship" legislation. Many believed that would help him garner Latino voters for his presidential bid, but he received just 31% ...13% fewer than George W. Bush. Senator Obama helped kill the "pathway to citizenship bill" and 67% of Latino voters chose him for President. In 2003, Democrats in the California Legislature passed a bill to give driver's licenses to illegals. After Gov. Gray Davis signed the bill into law, voters revolted and he was recalled. "In a craven act of cowardice, the Legislature quickly voted to rescind the bill it had passed." The piece also notes that the Obama Administration is deporting 5% more illegals than under Bush and that powerful New York Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer is pushing for a national ID card. GOP politico Hector Barajas said of Democrats, "They'll attend an immigration march and march with you, but on the back end, they'll say that they want more agents to deport you. It's become a racket."
Arizona Law a Political Plus?: San Francisco Chronicle columnist Debra Sanders authored this piece discussing the politics surrounding Arizona's adoption of the federal law on illegal immigration. She notes that a recent New York Times/CBS poll found that 51% support the law as it is currently written while 9% think that it does not go far enough. More interesting is her analysis of how the two political parties have reacted to this law compared to previous immigration reform proposals. Senator John McCain supported "pathway to citizenship" legislation. Many believed that would help him garner Latino voters for his presidential bid, but he received just 31% ...13% fewer than George W. Bush. Senator Obama helped kill the "pathway to citizenship bill" and 67% of Latino voters chose him for President. In 2003, Democrats in the California Legislature passed a bill to give driver's licenses to illegals. After Gov. Gray Davis signed the bill into law, voters revolted and he was recalled. "In a craven act of cowardice, the Legislature quickly voted to rescind the bill it had passed." The piece also notes that the Obama Administration is deporting 5% more illegals than under Bush and that powerful New York Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer is pushing for a national ID card. GOP politico Hector Barajas said of Democrats, "They'll attend an immigration march and march with you, but on the back end, they'll say that they want more agents to deport you. It's become a racket."
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