Letter: Court system puts people at risk
I spent 10 years in an increasingly abusive relationship. When I tried to leave him, and sought protection from the court, he flew into a rage and tried to strangle me to death.
He was never charged with attempted murder, in spite of a long criminal history, including domestic violence. He agreed to a plea deal that further reduced the charges. He served only 2 years and 3 weeks locked up.
He was released Oct. 14.
He is still a threat to me and my daughters. He was supposed to be restricted from Benton and Franklin Counties. Instead, Walla Walla State Penitentiary gave him a bus ticket to Yakima with a stop in Pasco. They could have required him to report as soon as possible. Instead, they gave him a 24 hour free pass. He spent that time in Tri-Cities, and my daughters and I spent it in terror.
The court system made no real attempt to protect us, nor punish him for the crime he committed. Then, the Department of Corrections callously put us at risk. Is this really the best we can expect from our justice system? All I can do is hope and pray I’m not tomorrow’s headline.
Melinda DeLong
West Richland
This story was originally published November 1, 2015 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Letter: Court system puts people at risk."