Prometheus 6

Check out the divorced-from-common-sense-and-decency statement of the spokesperson for the district attorney who charged and prosecuted this child. This brain donor has the gall to state that her early release from prison sets an "alarming precedent" but apparently he does not believe that sentencing a child to prison for pushing or shoving an adult is not a more alarming precedent.

The Journey to Freedom Starts with Your Mind. http://exodusmentality.blogspot.com/

who wrote the original piece wrote a follow up article...I don't have the link sorry...but a couple of things.

1) The D.A. misrepresented the Cotton family by stating that Shaquanda Cotton's mother declined to abide by the rules of probation, thereby leaving Judge Superville with no recourse but to pass a sentence of 1-7 years.  The Chicago Tribune's review of the COURT TRANSCRIPT revealed this to be false...that the family agreed to the probation rules and still a sentence of probation was not imposed.

2) Shaquanda Cotton's sentence was extended because she would not admit her guilt and because she was found with contraband in her room (an extra pair of socks).

3) Reports are that this young lady has contemplated suicide.  She will not return to her school and will pursue a GED from home.  This is an area where significant intervention will be required.

4) The Texas Youth Commission is under investigation because there have been findings of guards engaging in sex with minors.  There are hundreds, if not thousands of cases under review.  Ms. Cotton's case is likely to be far from the most egregious trespass of justice.  The TYC review process led to Ms. Cotton's release.

5) Political effort will be expended to ensure that the nation looks AWAY from TEXAS at this time.  Now is the time to FOCUS a SPOTLIGHT on TEXAS to ensure that the TYC investigation proceeds efficiently and effectively.  Time is still of the essence.  There are hundreds of children facing mortal danger every day - from one another and from institutional guards.  This is an urgent situation. 

The tactical approach will likely require some modification - but as a preliminary recommendation, I would certainly recommend a two-pronged strategy:

1) Blogging in support of directing resources to support Ms. Cotton and other TYC youth who will be released and need support.  The resources (financial, technological, etc.) should be administered locally and focused on critical areas likely to yield the greatest benefit.

2) Dissecting the statewide juvenile justice process in TX to identify the appropriate levers...this work should likely be extended to other states where similar issues are at work.  It's spotlight time.

As for the behavior of the DA in this case, I've found that prosecutors share (generally speaking) a willingness to frame issues this way.  It's essential to the job...if you can't demonize children, it makes it impossible to do your job - and everyone knows that whatever you "do" is okay - as long as "you're doing your job."  That's what the overseers would say...that's what the gas chamber operators would say.  "I'm just doing my job"....repeat...rinse conscience.

Chicago Tribune article about Cotton's release.

To quote what Temple3's referring to -- some blatant backpedaling from Hubbard & Co.:

Court discrepancy revealed

"Let her out of TYC," said Allan Hubbard, spokesman for Lamar County District Atty. Gary Young. "Hell, she's done a year for pushing a teacher. That's too long."

Hubbard also backed away from claims he and Young made this week in numerous media interviews that the judge in the case, Lamar County Judge Chuck Superville, had had no choice but to send the youth to prison because her mother had testified that she would not cooperate with probation officials had the judge sentenced the teen to probation.

On Thursday, Young's official Web site contained this assertion: "This juvenile's mother (Creola Cotton) told the judge she would not comply with conditions of probation."

But a review of the full court transcript shows no such testimony. In fact, Creola Cotton repeatedly answered "yes" when asked in court whether she would comply with any conditions of probation that the judge might impose.

On Friday morning, after an inquiry about this discrepancy by the Tribune, the district attorney's Web site was altered to read: "Through her actions of non-cooperation, Ms. Cotton told the judge she would not comply with conditions of probation."

Why oh why? Man oh man. If these people don't get their act together down there and anywhere else in this country where it concerns treating people with respect and dignity where to include incidents such as happened to Shaquanda Cotton where her only offense noted was shoving a hall monitor who would not allow her to enter the school prior to the doors being opened to the students ... (what exactly went down between the hall monitor and Shaquanda may be the key to why Shaquanda pushed the idiot) ... but so help me God ... I am getting sick and tired of this type of BS going on unchecked by the powers that be (ptb) and even permitted to continue in this day that a curse of the same nature in which Elisha cursed the children who teased him in 2Ki 2:24 where afterwards a Mother bear came and tore (I assume killed them as well) forty-two children in all. May God put upon those who inflict harm on another individual or group, based in hatred, a punishment equally as deserving or His own form of punishment that they will know that it was od Himself that is not pleased with their ways and that those who suffered because of the evil ways of those evil people will be restored in spirit and mind and body that it will be as they never had suffered at all so as to turn the evil that the evil people intended towards them God will have turned it into a blessing ... that is my prayer request to the Lord of lords and the King of kings ... the one true God.