An emergency sentencing guideline dealing with punishment
for child predators is being pushed through the Pennsylvania Commission on
Sentencing (PCS) today that would hopefully allow the Judge in the Sandusky
trial to sentence him to chemical castration should he be convicted on charges
of child sexual assault.
In a rare move, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
has indicated that, although they believe chemical castration is, in most
cases, considered cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment to
the US Constitution, in Sandusky’s case, they would step back and allow the Commission
to give the Judge the authority to order chemical castration at Sandusky’s
sentencing hearing.
In fact, not one person who has knowledge of this special
sentencing guideline--from the attorneys who are crafting it, to the officials
in charge of maintaining Pennsylvania’s state sentencing guidelines--have any
objections to seeing the law passed on an emergency basis.
If all goes according to plan, “Sandusky’s Sentence” will
be ready to be handed down as soon as the jury convicts the ex-football coach
of the crimes he is alleged to have committed, and it will be a model sentence
for any other predators who are awaiting trial on similar charges.
A companion recommendation that Sandusky not be allowed
to shower for the rest of his life was struck down, however, for being cruel
and unusual punishment—not for Sandusky, but for his fellow inmates.
In related news, the Roman Catholic Diocese in Harrisburg,
PA is seriously considering getting behind this latest sentencing guideline as
it would save them millions of dollars in hush money over the long haul.
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