If a plea from Gov. Maura Healey gained’t sway the Massachusetts Parole Board, then hope is all however misplaced for victims to see actual justice come to murderous criminals.
Jose Colon, convicted for the killing of Mass State Police Trooper George L. Hanna in 1983, was sentenced to life with out parole. The punishment match the crime of murdering the legislation enforcement officer and father of three in chilly blood.
Then got here the Mattis choice, the bane of grieving victims’ households because it was issued. The Supreme Judicial Court docket dominated that “rising adults” (those that have been 18 to twenty on the time of the offense) can’t be sentenced to life with out parole. It doesn’t matter how heinous the crime, in the event you have been within the magic “rising grownup” window once you perpetrated it, you’ll be able to style freedom after a stint in jail.
Victims’ family members have gone earlier than the Parole Board pleading that the individuals who killed their moms, sisters, sons, mates, fathers, neighbors be saved off the streets. Time after time, their requires justice fell on deaf ears.
Healey entered the chat.
“Trooper Hanna’s household, together with his spouse, Marilyn, and their three youngsters, Deborah, Kimberly, and Michael, have lived with this unimaginable loss ever since,” the governor wrote to the board. “This offense inflicted profound and lasting hurt.”
As a legislation enforcement officer, Hanna’s homicide was felt by the folks he served, in addition to his household and family members.
“I write to state plainly that the character of this offense, the magnitude of its hurt, the welfare of this state, and the enduring public significance of Trooper Hanna’s sacrifice weigh decisively in opposition to launch. For these causes, I strongly urge the Board to disclaim parole for Jose Colon.”
The parole listening to for Colon could possibly be a turning level. Healey laid out the aftermath of Hanna’s homicide, the impact on the state, the loss to his household. It’s not possible to gloss over the thought of crucial penalties, nor faux that Colon is the one character that issues on this grisly play.
If Healey’s letter can’t get the Parole Board to acknowledge that it’s the crime that issues greater than becoming right into a two-year age window on the time it was dedicated, then what likelihood do odd crime victims have?
Past the standards of the Mattis choice, the Parole Board has let far too many criminals, together with rapists and murderers, stroll free prior to now 12 months. They could be higher folks now, however that doesn’t erase the lives they took, nor the necessity or justice to be served.
The homicide of Trooper George Hanna was particularly egregious, robbing the neighborhood of a person who swore to guard and serve it. The Hanna Awards, named in his honor, have been held yearly since 1983. They’re a logo of status, inside each the legislation enforcement neighborhood and the state as an entire.
The award web site reads, “It’s a possibility to publicly acknowledge the bravery of members of the legislation enforcement neighborhood who put their lives on the road by dedicating themselves to security all through Massachusetts.”
The Parole Board has an opportunity to point out that those that put their lives on the road have lives that matter.
