SENTENCE SENSIBLE

On Nov. 2, it was reported that the Appeal Court of Nova Scotia had found
an April decision of Judge Felix Cacchione to be "clearly inadequate and
excessively lenient." Well, I don't think so.

This case has been in the press since 1999. Judge Cacchione must have found
that the accused was non-violent and evidently reformed since charged by
the RCMP. He is reported as married, with a wife and child, steadily
employed and a contributing member of society. There's no sense in sending
him to prison, putting his wife and child on welfare and costing the system
a reported $80,000 annually for incarceration. A sentence of 18 months of
house arrest with conditions was imposed.

We have daily reports of extreme violence on our streets and in our homes:
shooting, stabbing, rape and violence against children; the strong
oppressing the weak. We are awash with hard drugs like heroin, cocaine and
crack.

This appears to be a further instance of a prosecution service in disarray
and a possible miscarriage of justice. Furthermore, why was the accused
permitted to represent himself against an adversarial prosecutor and before
the Appeal Court? Why was he not provided with competent and professional
representation?

The public good is not being served.

I trust Judge Cacchione will continue to dispense his sensible decisions in
such cases.

C. Burton Coutts,

Halifax