Posted 8:49 AM by steve

In Virginia just a few days ago, a jury convicted two members of the MS-13 gang of murdering a government witness. Good for them (the jury, that is).

Now comes the story that the jury hoped to send a message to the leaders of the gang "that their system cannot be tolerated". And how did the jury hope to do this? Well, not by convicting any of the gangs leaders; both of the leaders charged with ordering the murder were acquited. And despite the jury having no doubt at all of their guilt, not by giving the two murderers the death sentence, because at least some of the jury felt that "the death penalty is not administered fairly in this country, that it discriminates against people of color" (don't bother pointing out the obvious way of addressing this 'imbalance' is to sentence more white murderers to death, not by letting off the hook minorities who have definitely earned the death sentence).

So how did this group of fine upstanding individuals choose to send their message? By including in their verdict a paragraph expressing "the hope that (the two) would use their decades in jail to counsel Latino youths on the dangers of gangs". I'm sure gang leaders are quivering in their laceless shoes at the thought of yet another 'scared straight' lecture series at the local detention center.