I have just read the headline articles in today’s Free Lance,
the one about the Haybalers winning their first game in the
playoffs makes me happy. I enjoy watching the fine young men and
their coaches working as a team to beat an equally strong opponent.
I am greatly saddened, however, by the other article. The one about
a man being sentenced to life in prison.
Dear Editor,
I have just read the headline articles in today’s Free Lance, the one about the Haybalers winning their first game in the playoffs makes me happy. I enjoy watching the fine young men and their coaches working as a team to beat an equally strong opponent. I am greatly saddened, however, by the other article. The one about a man being sentenced to life in prison.
It is that second article that pains me.
I also read the fathers’ reaction to the extremely punitive and beyond normal sentence. I have known Ron Rodrigues since we were teenagers over sixty years ago. I still see Ron occasionally – mostly at funerals and reunions. I like Ron. I think he is a good man and I have no reason to believe he is not a good father.
I don’t live in Hollister anymore and I don’t follow the trial, but I tend to agree with most of Ron’s reaction piece about his son, Michael’s, trial.
Many years ago I was a cop in Hollister and was a County Probation Officer when Michael Rodrigues was born. More recently I was an adviser in a murder trial in Hollister and also in a lawsuit against the county and the Sheriff’s Office. My “side” won in both instances.
The sadness that I experience over this matter is that we all lose. I feel sorry for one of the alleged victims who is quoted as saying that the verdict has renewed her “trust in the law.” I guess that means that she might have some negative feelings or lacked faith in the law before now. In this case she was lucky to be on the side of those who had most everything on their side.
The judges are all lawyers and usually have worked in the District Attorney’s office. Most also have a prosecutors mentality and use their influence unfairly in court. Prosecutors frequently have their own agenda and are not seeking justice, but convictions. Trials then become more of a contest than a process toward a fair outcome.
In this contest it appears that the judges not only put the Forty-Niners against the Haybalers but slanted the “field” in favor of the Forty-Niners by not allowing a change of venue. (my apology to Baler fans for using the analogy).
Justice is fair and refreshing. Vengeance is ugly.
Frank Valenzuela, San Jose
