Source: Los Angeles Times (CA) Contact: 213-237-4712 Website: Pubdate: Wed, 20 May 1998 3-STRIKES LAW COURT RULING "State High Court Ruling Toughens 3-Strikes Law," May 15: The California Supreme Court says that the three-strikes law was very clear, but I certainly didn't know that a single criminal act could count as multiple strikes. I also didn't know that nonviolent crimes could count as strikes. Now we see Russell Benson get 25 years to life for stealing a carton of cigarettes. That may be allowed by the language of the law, but is that really what the voters had in mind? MIGUEL MUNOZ Los Angeles * * * The court's decision makes it more important than ever to temper our state's three-strikes law with common sense, fairness and humane consideration. I worked for more than 10 years in the L.A. County district attorney's office, so I understand the law enforcement perspective. I have been a victim of crime. But I'm also the father of a young man serving an unduly long prison sentence under our harsh three-strikes law. The pendulum has swung too far on the side of severe penalties. What does this say about a society and a justice system that have become as vicious as the crimes they seek to punish? What will we really gain by raising a generation of young people in prison? I recommend that the third strike must be a serious, violent felony. As in death penalty cases, inform juries that they are dealing with a "strikes" case and the possible consequences. Give judges more discretion to weed out the cases for which the three-strikes law was not intended. Finally, instead of this intense drive to incarcerate more and more young people, let's put more resources into education and rehabilitation. AL ALBERGATE Hermosa Beach Copyright Los Angeles Times - --- Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)