Officers sentenced in Miss. gay beating

[Ian David]

Officers sentenced in Miss. gay beating
published Thursday, January 25, 2007

State narcotics agents in Mississippi who pleaded guilty last year to assaulting two gay men in 2004 have been sentenced to a year's house arrest.

John Forman and Greg Reynolds of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics were forced to resign upon admitting federal charges of violating the victims' civil rights.

Despite pressure from Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Fitzgerald, who argued that the men be given jail time, Magistrate James Sumner on Tuesday sentenced Reynolds to a month in jail and both men to a year of home incarceration.

"I know the sentences do not suit the Department of Justice and the victims," Sumner told the Associated Press, adding that he was satisfied with their resignation.

The men also agreed not to seek any law enforcement positions for 18 months following sentencing.

More:
http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2007/01/25/4

[Selatius]

1. As a Mississippi native, I can say that...

if these officers had beaten on a Black person for the virtue of him being Black, they would've gone to jail in my view. Hatred should be fought as ferociously as possible no matter the form it comes in. If they would've gone to jail for beating on a Black person who is guilty of being the wrong skin color, then they should've also gone to jail for beating on a gay person for being guilty of homosexuality.

The sentence is too lenient. It disgusts me.

[xchrom]

2. house arrest and can't seek a law enforcement job

for 18 months.

well that pretty much says it all doesn't it?

[David__77]

3. They should be sent to reeducation center.

I'm quite serious. We need penal centers to actively reeducate such types. I think we need non-penal centers of this type too. Their probation should be of a political nature - they need to make political restitution to the gay community.

[triakis36]

4. This should get more media attention that it is

The Rodney King incident exploded on network news.. There should be just as much outcry over this brutality. It's sick and gross, and the country needs to know.

[Ian David]

7. The guys who beat Rodney King were found innocent. These guys were found guilty...

but got off with a bare slap on the wrist.

Although they'll never spend a day in jail.

Still, this should make it easier to win a civil judgment against them.

Also, maybe there should be federal RICO charges against them? They did, after all, abuse the otherwise legitimate offices of their authority to commit a crime.

[MadBiologist]

5. the fuck?

If the judge knows that the victims of a crime and the DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE have issues with a sentence it is too damn lenient. I get the feeling this bastard would have suspended their sentences if he could have gotten away with it.

They beat two gay men for being gay, and they get house arrest? The hell. And they can still seek law enforcement positions? Shouldnt they be forever barred from any position of public trust? Oh, that's right. We homosexuals are barely people under the law it seems. I suppose I should be happy. In states like mississippi it is practically legal to kill us if you use the "gay panic" defense.

Fuckers. And to think I will end up living in the south to do the research that is my life's work... this should be fun

[dsc]

6. It is what they did afterwards that should have sealed the deal

Charging them with drug crimes, apparently falsely, to cover their tracks. They should have been sentenced to whatever the average sentence of the crimes they charged these men with plus a few years for the assult.

[baby_mouse]

8. Feckin pathetic.

:puke: