NO INSANITY PLEA FOR SMART KIDNAPPER

The creep who engineered the dastardly kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart has been caught. Now, surely the wheels are turning in the minds of criminal defense attorneys who might represent him as to how to enable him to evade responsibility for carrying out an enormous criminal act which derailed and stained indelibly the life of this beautiful young woman. She and her family were put through a nine-month ordeal in hell, which no human being should have to to suffer.

Those who would represent the defendant have a head start in their efforts to seek to demonstrate a diminished capacity. Individuals who have been following this gripping story see that this false prophet is a crackpot. He used religion fanatically and twisted it like a pretzel, using it for his evil scheme to bring Miss Smart into his sick world for whatever purpose he wished. He controlled her to the extent that even when she had the opportunity to escape her captors, she elected not to do so.

The kidnapper and tormentor of Elizabeth Smart must not be able to hide behind an insanity defense. Society and our justice system must recognize that despite his obvious lunacy, the defendant is the embodiment of evil. He must be held accountable for the incalculable damage he has done to the Smart family, which will never be the same through his wikedness.

Whether he would be justifiably sentenced to death or to life in prison, we must do everything in our power to ensure that he never again sees the light of day.

Washington Post - Letter to the Editor - 3/17/03