This is So Wrong

[talon]

http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=11959531

Oklahoma legislators want the right to alter court sentences, overruling judges.

The legislature may make the laws - and there's nothing preventing them from making a law imposing a minimum sentence on specific crimes - but they are not judge or jury and have no right at all to overturn or redo sentences imposed by judges who have heard the evidence and made a ruling.

They may make the laws, but the legislature neither enforces the laws nor interprets them once they are passed.

I say that Rep. Mike Ritze and those who support him in the House of Representatives need to be given a wake-up call by being voted out of office, and I wouldn't be averse to him being impeached over this. The Judicial and Legislative branches of our government are separate for a reason.

I am so angry over this and glad he's not representing my district - although if he was, he'd get himself a huge< i> earful. I may give him one anyway. If you are an Okie living in House District 80 (centerd on Bixby and climbing up into the southern edges of Tulsa), let him know just how arrogant and wrong he is.

His casual, "Well, you know the legislature makes the laws." as if that gave him special rights and privileges just - pisses - me off. I'd say more, but I reserve my pithiest curses to present directly to him - after, of course, trying sweet reason. I oubt it will work. When a person is that self-important, arrogant, and privileged, he can't see where he's wrong or why anyone could possibly be angry with him. After all, we don't want sex offenders getting light sentences, do we, and the judges, they are so wrong for not punishing sex offenders in cruel and unusual ways and simply being a sex offender is enough to revoke all rights as a human being, never mind that sex offenders come in a variety of strengths and flavors and the judge is the one best equipped to understand all the fine points of the case. Legislators, they just want to put in their penny's worth - and trust me, that's all it's worth.

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<p><lj-cut><p> http://www.news9.com/global/story.asp?s=11959531 <p>Oklahoma <b>legislators</b> want the right to alter court sentences, overruling <i>judges</i>.<p>The legislature may make the laws - and there's nothing preventing them from making a law imposing a minimum sentence on specific crimes - but they are not judge or jury and have no right <i>at all</i> to overturn or redo sentences imposed by judges who have heard the evidence and made a ruling.<p>They may make the laws, but the legislature neither enforces the laws nor interprets them once they are passed.<p>I say that Rep. Mike Ritze and those who support him in the House of Representatives need to be given a wake-up call by being voted <i>out</i> of office, and I wouldn't be averse to him being impeached over this. The Judicial and Legislative branches of our government are separate for a reason.<p>I am so angry over this and glad he's not representing <i>my</i> district - although if he was, he'd get himself a <i>huge< i> earful. I may give him one anyway. If you are an Okie living in House District 80 (centerd on Bixby and climbing up into the southern edges of Tulsa), let him know just how arrogant and wrong he is.<p>His casual, "Well, you know the legislature makes the laws." as if that gave him special rights and privileges just - <b>pisses</b> - me off. I'd say more, but I reserve my pithiest curses to present directly to him - after, of course, trying sweet reason. I oubt it will work. When a person is that self-important, arrogant, and privileged, he can't see where he's wrong or why anyone could possibly be angry with him. After all, we don't want <i>sex offenders</i> getting light sentences, do we, and the judges, they are so wrong for not punishing <i>sex offenders</i> in cruel and unusual ways and simply being a <i>sex offender</i> is enough to revoke all rights as a human being, never mind that <i>sex offenders</i> come in a variety of strengths and flavors and the judge is the one best equipped to understand all the fine points of the case. Legislators, they just want to put in their penny's worth - and trust me, that's <i>all</i> it's worth.<p How <i>dare</i> any legislator presume to know better than the sitting judge on a case?<p> I'm dropping this now before I get even angrier. <p></lj-cut>