REINCENTIVIZING JUVENILE ASSASSINS

Paroling juvenile cop killers will invariably lead to more juvenile cop killers

By Jeff ‘Paco’ Doyle

PACOVILLA Corrections blog
June 30, 2014

Jesus Cecena, who as a juvenile in 1978 killed San Diego police officer Archie Buggs in cold blood, has been recommended for parole. Buggs was left in the gutter, three bullets in his chest, one in his right temple, after a traffic stop. According to the Los Angeles Times, Cecena is now an ostensibly contrite, model prisoner whose sole desire is to “honor Officer Buggs in a positive way by living a peaceful, productive life.”

Paco thinks that is a reasonable and honorable goal. HOWEVER, it is a goal which can and MUST be attained in prison. Accepted at face value, the evidence upon which the BPH granted parole conclusively establishes Jesus is living as peaceful and productive a life as a Lifer. That is good–Kudos Jesus!

That said, when I was “four months shy of 18″ I knew it was wrong to murder a police officer. In fact, colloquial as it sounds, most of us at the time (I graduated the year prior) knew murder as a mortal sin. Thus, I am unmoved that it took over 3 decades for Mr. Cecena as pertains to potential parole.

Which is to say, I do not believe those who murder cops in cold blood should ever be paroled–I don’t care what the Court says. If the Court wants to release cop killers, let them order it. Until then, our elected leaders are well advised to look out for our safety, as opposed to avoiding litigation.

It is well documented criminal gangs long ago designated minors as hit-men precisely because juvenile courts guaranteed the killer would not be executed–The killer would get almost certainly be released at age 25. In response, trying juveniles as adults was codified. The incentive to enlist minor killers was vastly diminished.

Clearly, paroling a man who was “four months shy of 18″ when he executed a police officer, means a green light on any peace officer deemed a problem by gang shot-callers. Get a kid to murder a lawman, use him as a soldier inside for 3 or 4 decades and when he paroles, we’ll have a big old party for him. That’s the practical reason for Governor Brown to reject the parole grant.

Beyond the practical, Jesus Cecena probably is a changed man but, virtuous or not, he murdered a police officer and, for that, should only be released from prison as a corpse. That goes for all cop killers.

Larry Lasater‘s murderer was on 2 weeks short of 18 and, thanks in large part to his tenacious mother, Phyllis Loya, his parole grant was rejected by Gov. Jerry Brown. Here’s hoping the late Officer Buggs’ family receives the outcome they deserve as well.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Short of 18 my ass!

Any cop killer as young as 16, even 14 or 15, should never see the light of day outside a prison wall. I don’t care if he evolved to walking on water while in prison. I don’t care if he had a vision of Jesus telling him to do good works when he gets out. I don’t care if he earned a PhD from Harvard while in prison. I don’t care if he’s had op-eds and books published while in prison which urge youths not to follow in his footsteps.

It should be made crystal clear to kids and adults alike that if you kill a cop, the consequences will be the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole! And ‘without the possibility of parole’ should really be life without the possibility of parole!