Lawbreakers must be held accountable

“Let’s make a deal” seems to be the slogan of the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office and the rest of the North Idaho justice system. It seems that not a day goes by, when I don’t read in local newspaper or hear on the local radio station, that a person has been arrested for any number of felony or misdemeanor charges for violation of statutory law.

More often than not, the next time I read or hear about these cases is when it is announced that the defendant has reached a plea deal with the prosecutor’s office to avoid being brought to trial. Time after time, defendants plead guilty to single violations instead of being held to answer on all counts. It seems that even when defendants do plead guilty to a serious crime, the agreed sentence that is imposed is far less than the law allows.

I feel that people who violate laws, which were designed to protect us all, should be assured that they will be held accountable for their actions and not avoid full prosecution under those same laws. I’m tired of seeing unsupervised probation, credit for time served, no jail time, reduced sentence, etc., as final dispositions in criminal court cases.

Those of us, who believe in the law, have placed our trust in the fact that criminals will be brought to justice. Law enforcement officers need to know that when they investigate and solve a case, where they identified and arrested a defendant, that the charges will not be dealt away with and the responsible person(s) will stand trial on the charges. If our laws keep going by the wayside, the common defense will be that it is “cruel and unusual” to prosecute anyone for anything. Laws are designed and inacted to protect us all, so are jails and prisons for those who ignore them.

DENNIS McNEELY

Sandpoint