News-Record.com

In Wayne Baucino's July 29, letter concerning sentencing of Tolly Carr, he wrote, "Whatever the sentencing judge decides … that decision should be accepted by all concerned as the appropriate disposition (emphasis added) of this case …" Not only is this a presumptuous statement, it is the height of credulity.

While the public will likely accept the sentence, seeing it as the appropriate sentence is another matter. Those with only a modest familiarity with the criminal justice system realize that five different judges looking at the same facts cane (and are likely to) arrive at five different sentences, and they can vary substantially. Baucino's logic would suggest any of these sentences would be the appropriate disposition.

In the minds of many, the death of Casey Bokhoven by an impaired driver warrants a substantial period of incarceration as opposed to a suspended sentence with probation. While Carr may deserve some mitigation consideration from the maximum sentence due to no prior record, let us hope the judge will take into account his experience as a newsman and his exposure to the danger and carnage associated with driving while impaired. Carr chose not to learn from these experiences, and Bokhoven lost his life.

Larry A. Roddy
Asheboro