NORTHEAST NEWS
March 13, 2013 

With spring nearly upon us, our thoughts turn to readying our garden plots and putting this summer’s crop of flowers and vegetables into the ground. Unfortunately, there’s another crop that tends to rear its ugly head every time the weather turns warmer. That would be the crop of ne’er-do-wells that seemingly come out of the woodwork when the weather warms up and wreak havoc on our quiet community. There’s a reason they’re here, too. You don’t find them in Clay, Platte or Cass counties on the Missouri side or Johnson or Wyandotte counties on the Kansas side. They’re specifically in Jackson County because the train-wreck of a justice system in Jackson County allows these criminals (auto thieves, drug dealers and the like) to plea their robbery or assault case down more than seven times before he does any prison time? Ridiculous in this canine’s eyes.

Here’s a plea to the prosecutor types in Jackson County. Throw these criminals in jail and be done with it. Stop plea bargaining violent offenders back out on the streets. Send a strong message with the sentence that’s meted out instead of offering a slap on the wrist to a known habitual offender. There’s a lot of boots on the ground over here doing great work for neighborhoods that deserve better support from the justice system in Jackson County and Kansas City and it’s high time the prosecutor’s office started playin’ hardball instead of waffle ball.