Is it possible for America to outsource our penal system to a Middle East country with a more "Hands On" approach to justice? Or, "hands off" may be a better way to describe what I am seeking. Seriously! I am normally a peace-loving guy, who feels empathy for those who develop violent behaviors as a result of living in tragic socio-economic straits. I cannot quantify the number of similar heinous, vicious crimes it has taken to switch my ability to find compassion for the perpetrators of violet crimes, but it has. And the desire to see them eviscerated consumes my thoughts. It's like some switch has been toggled and I wish only to read that these persons who commit random murders, home invasions, and the like have been executed. The desire to see it outsourced to, say Syria, is to sate some bloodlust I hunger now. I feel horrible. Something severe needs to happen to scare those who may think this type of crime is a rational act to gain positive results to see it as the opposite.

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I can't believe this. This makes me sick to my stomach. Though I did not know Terry Williams, he was a friend of a good friend of my husband's, and I attended a party held in his honor over Labor Day. My 30-something cousin, who was arrested for molesting his teenage stepdaughter last year, was NEVER granted bail and has remained in jail from the moment he was arrested. He is now serving a mandatory 20 year sentence in state prison. Not to say that child molestation is GOOD, and I believe he deserves to be punished, but it seems that in our society it is more acceptable to MURDER someone than molest someone. Sex offenders, upon release, must remain on a sex offender registry. As far as I know, there is no such thing as a murderer registry, at least in Georgia. I almost think my cousin would have had a lighter sentence, and would have been granted bail, had he just killed the girl. But then again, his case was handled in Hall County and not Fulton. There's a reason many people feel safer in the burbs.

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As someone who lives literally doors away from where the murder took place I am disgusted and angry that this individual hasn't been sent away for good ages ago. "His honor", Judge T. Bedford Jackson - had the nerve and audacity to ask at the hearing whether anyone thought this individual was a threat to the community how many more need to be murdered? The only way we can deal with this type of "justice" is to band together at election time and remove the problem. I, like Buck, now have a mission - let the people be heard loud and clear.

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HJ, I live nearby(on Colquitt) and am also fighting-mad. There are more than a few of us in this area. Let's get it together. John thatshogwash at hotmail dot com

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I too, was at the bond hearing held for Cori Williams. I happened to be in the courtroom on another matter when the bond hearing was held. I find it appalling and more than a little frightening that so many of you in the community are so quick to convict a person who is presumed innocent until proven guilty. You all seem to have overlooked that basic principal of our judicial system that you are so very critical of. Try putting yourself in the place of Mr. Williams. As I recall, the FACTS of the bond hearing, not disputed by either the District Attorney or Mr. Williams' attorney, were that Mr. Williams has never been convicted of a felony offense. There have been many reports of this "convicted felon" being set loose on the streets however, Mr. Williams has zero felony convictions. Mr. Williams has never before failed to appear at a hearing, possibly because he does not have a record and has never been asked to report to court. There were no eyewitnesses to the crime and mistaken identity is a possible defense. Are any of you who are doing the preliminary judging of this case actual eyewitnesses? If so, there is probably an Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County who would love to speak with you. The Judge can only determine that Mr. Williams is a danger to the community based on the facts presented to him. The fact is, Mr. Williams has NO prior felony convictions and has NEVER failed to appear in court. Given the information that the Judge was allowed (under this law you expect him to uphold) to consider, there was no way the Judge could deny a bond. Mr. Williams is, by law, entitled to a bond if no evidence to the contrary is provided. If any one of you who have responded unfavorably to the Judge's decision were in jail, you would appreciate the fact that the Judge took the law into consideration and not the opinions of the public who wasn't even present. I'm not says Mr. Williams is or is not guilty. He may very well be guilty of what he is accused of. The point is, our law states that he is innocent until proven guilty and we must treat him that way until the evidence shows otherwise. We cannot continue to lean on the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights only when it is convenient for our purposes. We must remember that it applies to all of us at all times.

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Conservative (n) - 1. a Liberal who has been mugged I am not pointing fingers in this blog, but this phrase comes to mind in conversations about this matter. Buck, I feel your pain and went through a long and similarly confusing process. There is no need to feel badly about human emotions, only feel badly if you act on them unjustly. I think violent behaviors are developed by, among other factors, the weak justice system and weak people who don't want to get involved or condemn another persons behavior, encouraging weak people to act criminally. Those who blame their socio-economic circumstances for their behavior are lying failures who are clearly revealed to be that by the masses of people in those same circumstances who are not violent and/or criminal. The "socio-economic" criminal is apparently somehow morally superior to people who engage in the same behavior without the socio/economic free pass of poverty. Those who permit them to use that excuse are simple enablers. People who feel badly about wanting justice are beginning to escape the conditioning that we undergo to see the criminal as someting otherthan a criminal, often to the point that his criminality is somehow our fault (bad schhools, bad parents, bad economy, racism, bigotry, prejudice, etc) "Something severe needs to happen to scare those who may think this type of crime is a rational act to gain positive results to see it as the opposite." Capital punishment, after a unanimous conviction requiring foolproof physical evidence (eye witnesses are notoriously unreliable), a rigorous and speedy appeal and no 20 years on Death Row. Stick around and watch me get savaged for that paragraph. Please understand, I am not picking on you becasue I truly know that feeling. Your words are a good example of a good and decent person struggling with their humanity and probably speak well fro many of us. Detachment permits us to have very lofty ideals, but the point of the spear in your own gut will truly test them. Sorry for the text vomit, crime strikes a real nerve with me.

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thats' BULLSHIT!!!!

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