How many chances?

Jose Ramos and Mark Soliz shot a delivery truck driver in Ft. Worth, critically wounding him. Then, they tried to rob a Lowe's employee at Lake Worth. They shot at him, too. They then went to Godley, Texas, where they robbed and killed a 61-year-old woman in her own kitchen. Jose Ramos has 18 previous charges and is wanted in Travis County for parole violation. Soliz has at least 12 previous charges. Veronica Garcia is disgusted. Ramos and Soliz shot up her house the week before they were arrested. "It's ridiculous," she said. "After 10 charges, you'd think they'd keep them locked up." Wonder how many other chances they'll get?


Billy Twayne Gibson is a registered sex offender. His criminal history includes aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, aggravated robbery, unlawful carrying of a weapon, and compelling prostitution by force or threat. He was deemed a sexually violent predator by the courts. For some unknown reason, our system of pardons and paroles let this man out of prison and put him in a halfway house. He cut off his tracking device and disappeared. The police considered him armed and dangerous. He was captured in Florida on September 3. How many more chances should he get?

Lonnie Franklin, Jr. is charged with 10 murders. He has been dubbed the Los Angeles "Grim Sleeper." Turns out he's been arrested at least 15 times in the last 40 years. I thought in California, it was supposed to be three strikes and you're out. He's been convicted of burglary, car theft, firearms possession, and assault. His probation officer urged he receive a maximum sentence, but the judge ignored the advice. At least one of his murder victims was killed right after Franklin was released early from jail because of overcrowding. How many more chances should he get?

Bobby Joe Stovall finally ran out of chances -- maybe. He was sentenced to life in prison for his 9th DWI conviction. But we all know that a life sentence means he'll probably be out by the time the ink is dry on the judge's signature. Stovall also has convictions for burglary, credit card abuse, possession of a controlled substance, theft, and making alcohol available to a minor.

A University Park man was caught recently videotaping a 9-year-old boy playing a saxophone. In 1980, he pleaded guilty to two child sex abuse cases. He was sentenced to seven years' probation in one and two years in prison in the other. He violated probation and was given a five-year prison sentence in 1983 over an assault on a 14-year-old boy who was attending a swim meet at SMU. In 2006, police filed a child sexual assault charge after they were contacted by a person who said the man had assaulted him 10 years earlier. That case resulted in a hung jury, because the victim was a high school student at the time, and some of the jurors were not sure how old he was when the assault occurred. He has no charges filed against him in the videotaping of the 9-year-old. According to police, that is not a crime. How many more chances should he get?

"Police identify men accused in crime spree." The Dallas Morning News; July 4, 2010; p. 9B.
"Murder suspect evaded notice." The Dallas Morning News; July , 2010; p. 10A.
"Man gets life sentence for 9th DWI conviction." The Dallas Morning News; August 12, 2010; p. 3A.
"Man with video has long record." The Dallas Morning News; December 3, 2010; p. 1B.