Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler Michael Woodmansee

Interesting story about Michael Woodmansee.

It's all over local news here and people are really huffed over it.

I do not see how someone who did something like that can change. I think letting him go is putting children in danger.

To show he is in fact, no danger as they are letting him go, he should live next to the judges family/parole board who's allowing it.

I also don't believe people like that will change. He proved as much by a second attempted murder.

Would anyone feel differently had he served his entire sentence? I don't think so.

He's been in prison since he was 16. He got a 40 year sentence instead of life, 'cause the family didn't want to have to deal with the ugly details in court. Yes, I know they're horrific, but the kid had to be a bona fide nutcase. And, at 16, his chances of still being alive in 40 (35 to date) years was pretty good and they had to know that then.

If he committed any crime in prison, it should have been tried and a new sentence added on, if he were found guilty. Same with sex offenders, or anyone.

If you're going to sentence someone to X # of years, it should not be possible, without further offenses, to extend that sentence just because we're afraid. We do that here in MA (here, Chris, Massachusetts). We've got a slew of sex offenders, levels 1-3, who have served all of their time and we're still holding them just because we feel like it.

Sure, it eases public fears, but the sentence you are remanded to serve is/was the law. It made no provisions for societal changes to incur add-ons.

Nicely put, Bob. Sometimes it's good to be reminded that we're supposed to be a nation of laws.

Agreed, Bob.

Mark "accused" me today of being sane. Agreeing with me only screws with my distorted self-image.

Here, I'll take it back 'round for ya:

If I were that kid's father, I'd be feeling the same way. But if he does act on it, he's only going to bring more misery on his own family.

Besides, revenge killing should be strictly limited to family and spouses. Or the attorney who charged you $25k to lose your $10k lawsuit. Or that smarmy kid driving with the seatback headrest touching his trunk deck.

Whew. Now I feel better.

Honestly, I couldn't read the article. Too awful.

I do feel badly that it's you that left that one wide open for me to say something really awful, like..."Ehhh, ya didn't miss much. They didn't include any recipes or anything."

So I won't.

I do agree with Bob on this, we do have to live by the laws as stated but if I were the father I really wouldn't mind killing the son of a bitch.

It seems like everyone wants to treat someone who's done something miserable like this person as if they've never been punished for what they did. I really doubt that his 28 years in prison was a bed of roses, or he got treated like a human being by anybody there. I also doubt that he hasn't had some sort of severe therapy treatment also. People can and do change and it would be up to whatever authorities that exist for him to insure that he can live outside of prison without re-offending. He probably should be re-located and not go back home to pappy.

I don't always agree with the laws, but they are the way they are for a reason. I'm prone to believe that re-offensive rates are much lower than most people want to believe. If they weren't, then the laws would be different. Otherwise, it would be like punishing or killing 98 people for the crimes of 2, if it was a 2% re-offense rate after prison.

Edit: Most crimes that have people that re-offend are probably the result of being in some sort of cycle. You can take that person out of the cycle and he's ok. Then release from prison and put that person right back into the environment that encourages the old cycle he was in and it won't be long before you have another crime on your hands.

Unless you are released and recommit in Massachusetts, during a presidential election campaign. Then it was the Governor's fault.
Or maybe it still was that stupid tank ride????

Not familiar with the particulars, but there's going to be exceptions to everything.

I wondr how he survived in jail after killing a kid. I thought the other inmates hated those guys.

I guess not everyone is a murderer.

I gotta say, Bob, I agree with your views on the "Texas Hold 'em" laws as I call them. NH has the same.

I don't like seeing these guys get out, but it just seems so unconstitutional and un-American to say: "Well, you were given 18 years, and you've served 18 years. But you make up nervous, so we've re-written the rules and are just going to keep you in there."

If you want them in there for 50 years or life, then just change the sentencing laws and make their sentence that long.... don't change your state prison into Gitmo and throw out the Constitution that makes this country what it is.