END MANDATORY SENTENCING

Regarding "That Plea Deal Doesn't Look So Bad Now" (Nation/World, Feb.
12):

Dan Ruth is right. Richard Paey is in prison because he offended the
law and the law won.

The Paey case is about power that mandatory sentencing statutes have
shifted from the judge and jury to the prosecutor. The old joke about
grand juries, indictments and ham sandwiches could be rewritten about
prosecutors, convictions and terminal patients. Our laws are written
broadly to give prosecutors latitude in applying them for the public
good. This did not happen in Paey's case.

The only possible good that can come out of this is to prevent a
recurrence. Either get rid of mandatory sentencing laws or stop
funding prosecutors to go after legitimate pain patients and their
doctors. And send Richard Paey home with assurance that the law won't
come after his doctor(s) for giving the relief he needs.

John Chase

Palm Harbor