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Our View
Murder trial
Will they let him walk? Not this time.
Many people have heard about the Johnson murder trial in Rappahannock, but few can believe that he was tried and convicted for first degree murder. Some even thought he might get away with it, due to leniency in past cases. Another question that arose was that of capital murder and capital punishment. Johnson’s offense could not be considered in this category. In Virginia, the state legislature has very narrow guidelines for what can be considered a capital offense. The following are examples of murders that can be tried as a capital offense: • The murder of a prison guard. • The murder of two or more people. • The act of murder while committing terrorism. • The act of murder while committing torture or rape. Johnson’s jury recommended a sentence of 38 years for his crimes. Hopefully, this will be enough punishment for leaving three children fatherless and their mother widowed. Granted, in Rappahannock County, these types of crimes are rare. The last murder trial ended in a plea agreement nearly 12 years ago. But as urban crime pushes out into the surrounding countryside, it will probably be less than 12 years before the next murder offense occurs. Times change and state legislature must change to adapt to growing problems. If a stop to violent crime means increasing the amount of punishment permissible, then it should be done. Johnson might be locked up for 38 years. But the judge will pass down the official sentence on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2000. If he chooses to, he can lessen the sentence, which would be a crime to the safety of our community. Let’s hope that does not happen.
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