As the kidnappers pulled into a quiet, upscale golf course community, they thought they were about to abduct an assistant district attorney who sent a high-ranking gang member to prison for life, authorities said.
But they had the wrong address and when the prosecutor's father answered the door, they took him instead.
For five days, authorities said the kidnappers held 63-year-old Frank Janssen captive in an Atlanta apartment, tormenting his family by sending text messages threatening to cut him into pieces if police were called or their demands weren't met. They even sent a photo of him tied up in a chair.
Unlike many of my colleagues in academia, I don't think for a minute that this episode is the result of a "climate of hate" against DA's. It's the result of good old fashioned criminality. Still, one would hope that those endlessly spinning hateful tales about prosecutors might give it a moment's thought.
Clearly, blatant violations of defendants' constitutional right to ineffective opposition of prosecutor are widespread in this country. Something must be done.