Letters to the editor June 2

Plea deals

A recent Daily Inter Lake offers up yet again another article about a criminal who had allegedly attacked an employee of a business and when the police were called, ultimately attacked and injured a police officer after the man refused to co-operate with the officers instructions. A Taser was used to no avail and the suspect allegedly proceeded to pummel the officer in the face. He was ultimately charged with felony assault on a peace officer and two misdemeanor counts of assault and criminal mischief. 

In exchange for admitting to the felony assault the prosecutors here agreed to drop the lesser charges in exchange for him pleading guilty to felony assault on the officer. 

So, you agree to say “I did it” and we will give you a deferred sentence, you pay restitution and off you go. This is utterly infuriating. What does that say to our brave law enforcement community? You can be attacked doing your very dangerous job protecting our community and the judicial system here will coddle the criminal that assaulted you. 

It’s amazing that there are still men and women who are willing to serve in law enforcement when they are given so little support from the judges and prosecutor’s here. If there are tepid, weak consequences for criminal behavior then the community will continue to suffer at the hands of criminals who receive no meaningful punishment for their bad behavior. If you do the crime then be prepared to do the time. 

Judges and prosecutors of Flathead County, stop pleading serious crimes down to lesser crimes and handing out suspended sentences like Halloween candy. We citizens would prefer not to have our community become infamous for being soft on crime but it appears we are headed in that direction.

— Jill Williams, Kalispell