"Thank you for contacting the Hennepin County Attorney's Office about this matter.
We share your frustration over the tragic shooting of Deasha Hazley. We also share your frustration that one of the defendants in this case, Antonio Lamar Gail, was out on bail at the time at the time of shooting.
Here are the facts about his case, as reflected in the court record (which is available for public inspection at District Court in the County Government Center):
In January, Gail was charged with being a felon in possession of a handgun. At the time the case was charged, our prosecutor sought bail of $30,000 with conditions. At Gail�s first court appearance, the judge reduced the bail to $7,500 with conditions. Gail posted a bond a short time later.
We were seeking a five-year prison sentence in this case, as mandated by the state legislature for this crime. On June 25, over the prosecutor�s objection, Gail entered a straight guilty plea to Judge Beryl Nord. The judge had indicated that she would give Gail a probationary sentence, with up to one year in the workhouse. The judge decided to leave Gail on conditional release pending his sentencing on August 11. Normally, if Gail were facing a prison sentence (as we wanted), he would be immediately taken into custody while awaiting his formal sentencing.
The aggressive prosecution of gun crimes is a key priority for our office because we understand the impact that guns and violence have in our communities.
In the case involving the shooting of Deasha Hazley, Gail and another defendant (Marchello Rembert) are each charged with first-degree assault and committing a crime for the benefit of a gang. These are very serious charges that call for years of prison time, and I want you to know that we will prosecute this case to the fullest extent."
Soooooo, considering some of the talk about judges, you might want to remember the name of the judge in this case the next time there is an election. Releasing a criminal on the street who has scoffed at the law prohibiting from carrying a handgun suggests a cavalier attitude towards public safety. There is an arguable case that judge should not be making such decisions.
________________________________________ Jim Mork Cooper Neighborhood Longfellow Community Minneapolis, MN We think. You'll like it here. And we're more fun than a barrel of Norwegians
_________________________________________________________________
Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail
TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.)
________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
