Blind justice

This letter is in response to The Acorn's article of June 7 relating how Sean Michael Gittens, 19, was sentenced to one year in jail and five years probation for crashing a car into a tree, killing the passenger, 18-year-old Krystin Shank.

What sticks in my mind is Krystin's mother's statement about how "the criminal has the majority of the rights." Amen and a double amen in this case. As he got behind the wheel of the car, sped down Westlake Boulevard at 80 mph in the rain, lost control of the vehicle, careened into a tree and killed Shank, Gittens was already on probation for a juvenile offense, wearing the apparently useless electronic ankle bracelet. He had five moving violations to his credit and had crashed yet another car into a tree. His license: suspended.

This was not an "accident" as the judge first suggested. This was an accident waiting to happen- actually, not an accident at all, but a lamentable crime.

And what does Gittens manage to do while out on bail for this latest misdeed? He breaks into a commercial property, adding a burglary conviction and a 60day sentence to his already impressive criminal record.

For the vehicular manslaughter conviction Gittens gets a year a jail- unfortunately, the maximum sentence. In a mere 365 days, and even less if the justice system works as it usually does, Gittens will be released. A year in jail is not likely to turn this guy around. Gittens has proved himself to be a miscreant of the highest order.

Parents and neighbors, mark your calendar for the day Gittens gets out, because there will be a criminal among us again. To the family of Krystin Shank, my heart goes out to you. Robert Ranallo Westlake Village