skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Zach Sowers
From
zachsowers.com:It is with great sadness that I write to tell you that my close and wonderful friend, Zach Sowers, passed away yesterday, Tuesday, March 25, after a long and steady decline. Anna called me today to tell me that he passed away peacefully around 10 p.m. last night. Zach is now at peace after a long and treacherous battle. He was so strong and fought until the very end but it provides comfort for us all to know that he is now in heaven, watching over his friends and family.
Anna has told me that she and the family are doing as well as can be. They have a strong network of friends and family supporting them and ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.
From the
Sun:
The teens convicted of beating Sowers could not be charged with murder because the victim hadn't died; their pleas prevent prosecutors from pursing murder charges now.
In December, Trayvon Ramos, 16, pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and robbery charges and was sentenced to life in prison with all but 40 years suspended. Three others, who agreed to testify against Ramos, received eight-year prison terms.
Anna Sowers had called the sentences "a joke."
Prosecutors said that the four teens robbed Sowers and used his credit cards to purchase gas and videos during a shopping spree over several days.
18 comments:
I know that the plea deal doesn't allow the state to seek murder charges against these thugs (thanks Pat!), but would it preclude Rod Rosenstein from filing federal murder charges?
There's really no such thing as "federal murder charges" in this case. Zach Sowers wasn't a federal gov't employee, the crime didn't involve interstate commerce or drugs/guns being moved across state lines, or any other kind of federal crime like arson, carjacking, etc. I suppose you could try to nail them for violating his civil rights, but that's a bit of a stretch.
My heart goes out to Anna and Zach's family...what happened really was a tragedy, not to mention the train wreck of "justice" that followed.
Anna is filing civil charges, and has found an attorney to handle it pro bono. If she prevails it will be a moral victory only, but if it puts the human trash that was responsible for Zach's beating and death through a little more hardship, it will be well worth the effort.
I'm cutting a copy of Zach's obituary out of the Sun and mailing it to Pat Jessamy.
I'm going to send a copy of the obituary to Trayvon's family's landlord (whose property is one block away from my house) and ask her why the f*** she hasn't evicted them yet.
We should also send a copy to the Cecil County judge who let Trayvon out on bail while facing carjacking charges.
I've been thinking about the whole of this for hours and I can't shake it at all. The whole of this is just so unfair, and embodies a lot that is wrong with this city.
I won't bore anyone with my rambling today, but I noted a few things here.
Its a shame that it took something so terrible to happen for Anna Sowers to become active but she should be commended for committing so much effort to getting justice.
I am so freaking SICK of this bullshit in this city. We work hard, pay our taxes to support an inferior public school system and crumbling city government, and for what? So that we can get robbed, raped and murdered on our own front doorsteps? WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?
God, I hope Anna Sowers takes these little hoodlums for all they've got - which we know damned well isn't much. But someone's got to make a stand for the law-abiding in this city. I'm sick of people using poverty and drugs as an excuse, I grew up in Baltimore in poverty and I don't run around murdering and robbing people, damn it. I worked my ass off for the things I have now - so there's NO EXCUSE! NONE!
i've been thinking about punishment in these cases. here's a thought:
New law: if you assault someone and put them in a vegetative state, then you should be charged with "de facto murder" or something to that effect. That means you're charged as if you killed someone.
If the victim recovers from a coma and walks out of the hospital, then your sentence can be cut in half.
Instead, the reverse happened in Zach's case. These kids pleaded guilty as part of a deal, and now that Zach is officially dead, they're grateful they copped a plea.
To me, this is the epitome of Baltimore. First, a senseless crime. A good person (assumed) taken in the beginning of his prime. Second, a family distraught and moved to action. Third, a public outpouring of sympathy and outrage for one of its own. Fourth a miscarriage of justice; sentences that will not punish but encourage and harden. And finally...no change at all. Back to business Baltimore.
What is it going to take before the people of Baltimore (and Baltimore County) stand up to this nonsense? We all need a true leader that will bring every pissed off citizen downtown to disrupt traffic and make a stand.
I would like to propose a poll. If there was a well publicized march on City Hall, during a workday would you show?
"What is it going to take before the people of Baltimore (and Baltimore County) stand up to this nonsense?"
The people of B'more County do stand up to this crap. If this crime had happened out in the county I am willing to bet that all four of those thugs would've been charged with, tried, and convicted of first-degree attempted murder, and then retried for murder once Zach died. Scott Schellenberger is no Pat Jessamy, and county juries have far fewer brainless dolts.
"county juries have far fewer brainless dolts."
There are plenty of people in Baltimore City who aren't brainless dolts and are willing to do their part; however, people (like me) have wasted a day at the Mitchell Courthouse waiting to be called until Jessamy's office pleads out or stets every case on the felony docket. But since Baltimore has a "One Day or One Trial" law, I'm not eligible to serve for another year.
Heh, the last time I went in for jury duty they didn't even have enough chairs for everyone. The geniuses who run the courts can't even get basic logistics right.
I guess my point about Baltimore County residents is the attitude that what happens in the city doesn't affect us in the county. I want Baltimore County residents to get active about city crime. I don't know the numbers, but I'm sure a very large number of people who live in the county, work in the city (me included). Baltimore's murder rate affects Marylanders, not just Baltimorons.
"The geniuses who run the courts can't even get basic logistics right."
Frank Conaway doesn't even know what day it is- how could you expect him to count properly?
Well, actually, there's nothing in the MD constitution which prevents Baltimore City from including County citizens in its jury plan. There is a small Code amendment needed to enable, however.
Meanwhile, I don't feel much safer given either of these sets of shootings.
"I would like to propose a poll. If there was a well publicized march on City Hall, during a workday would you show?"
Stephen, I would show, but in the four years I've been paying attention to crime in this city, there have been numerous protests (some better publicized than others) and nothing has changed.
Does a protest help? Maybe. But what I think helps more is a commitment to devoting your time to something that makes a positive impact.
Why not contact Anna Sowers and see if she needs help with her ongoing efforts with Zach's Law?
That's just one idea, but there are hundreds of things you could do with your time and energy. I'm not saying a protest is bad; hell, I'd love to see some real protests happening in this city -- especially if they included people from the county who work/play here. But most protests are little more than a harmless way to pat ourselves on the back and say we're trying to make a difference.
(If you really do want to organize a protest, though, contact me privately. I've got some ideas that should generate significant media coverage if we can get enough people involved.)
Post a Comment