LAW PEGS REPEAT OFFENDERS

Thousands Of Children Watch Governor Sign Measure

Fifth-grader Evens Jean-Francois agreed with Gov. Jeb Bush. People who
repeatedly commit violent crimes should go to jail for a long, long time.
No questions asked.

Classmate Judeley Multidor was more interested in seeing pro wrestler
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson than watching Florida's governor sign a bill.

In an anti-drug rally Friday, an estimated 20,000 rowdy elementary students
at the Orange Bowl saw Bush sign three bills -- the most prominent being
"Three Strikes" legislation. The new law plays a big part in the
Republican's vow to increase mandatory sentences.

How many of the children will benefit -- or eventually end up behind bars
- -- because of the legislation could be Bush's lasting legacy in Florida.

"It's important for kids to know there is good as well as bad in this world
and there are consequences to our actions," Bush told reporters as he
exited stage right -- where The Rock waited for his grand entrance.

The fifth-graders were graduating from a 17-week Drug Abuse Resistance
Education, better known as D.A.R.E. The graduation, which included a mass
pledge to resist alcohol and drugs, is usually done separately at the 115
Miami- Dade County schools that were present Friday.

Bush signed the Three Strikes legislation, as well as bills establishing
the Office of Drug Control and adding the designer drug ketamine, also
known as Special K, to the list of controlled substances. Besides the
students, nearly 60 police officers were in attendance.

The Three Strikes measure requires judges to give the maximum sentence to
people who commit their third violent crime. Drug dealers and those who
assault the police or the elderly also have to get the maximum sentence
under the bill.

"Ten percent of the criminals commit 90 percent of the crime, particularly
on the violent side," Bush said. "If you deal with habitual violent
offenders seriously you are going to see a dramatic reduction. We've begun
this process and these two bills, 10-20-Life and Three Strikes, will be the
culmination of a good strategy."

Not everybody feels that way. Public defenders said the laws further tie
the hands of judges and will bog down courts because suspected criminals
will have no incentive to enter plea bargains.

"It takes discretion away from our judges. Our belief is that judges ought
to judge and ought to make individualized decisions," said C. Richard
Parker, a public defender in Gainesville. "Also, inappropriately it will
commit individuals to long period of times just because they qualify."

Bush disagrees that Three Strikes and 10-20-Life take control out of a
judges' hands.

"I don't think it limits their effectiveness," the governor said. "I think
it just creates a greater certainty of punishment. They still have their
flexibility. We structured the law so it eliminates the bizarre cases where
someone commits a misdemeanor and is sent to prison forever."

Ramond Raiford, a teacher at Lake View Elementary, said he feels the new
laws will initially have a strain on the prison system but will work as a
deterrent to the students in his class.

"I feel stiffer penalties are good," he said. "It makes the parents be more
responsible and if they don't, then the system is going to take over."