Suzio and Crime Victims Defend Cruz

Sen. Len Suzio was joined by violent crime victims at a Tuesday, Oct. 16 press conference in front of the Connecticut Department of Correction in Wethersfield to call on Gov. Malloy to suspend the state's new policy which enable violent felons to be released from prison early.

Sen. Suzio also called upon the Malloy Administration to reappoint the state's non-partisan, independent State Victim Advocate Michelle Cruz to another term. Cruz has been outspoken against the Malloy Administration's new early release plan, which enables violent felons such as rapists, arsonists, child molesters and animal abusers to become eligible for early prison release under the Risk Reduction Earned Credits program.

"For months, we have been asking the Governor to suspend the Early Release Program as it applies to violent criminals and sexual predators and to order an investigation of the readily apparent failure to adequately protect the public," Sen. Suzio said. "We already know of two murders associated with Early Release criminals. We know of a rape that was reported last week in Vernon. We know of a carjacking of an elderly lady this month in New Britain and we know of the sexual harassment of a 14-year old on a Middletown bus last month by an Early Release convict who had 28 convictions including rape at knifepoint.

"This week, we learned of the shooting of a 16-month old baby in New Haven by an Early Release graduate. How many murders, rapes and shootings of infants must take place before the Governor suspends this program? Enough is enough.

"We also are here to acknowledge the incredible courage and dedication of the State's Victim Advocate, Michelle Cruz. Michelle has shown the light of truth on the disastrous Early Release Program. In so doing, she has demonstrated one of the rare characteristics of a political appointee today: the courage to stand up to the powers-that-be and say what the most powerful politicians in the state don't want to hear. This Program is dangerous and should be suspended immediately. This program is a betrayal of the justice due to the victims of violent crime and their families.

"The Malloy Administration has begun the process to appoint a new State Victim Advocate. They say that Michelle can apply. But we all know that the appointment should be automatic. No other candidate can demonstrate the courage and independence that this important office requires better than Michelle's heroic efforts. You can't put courage on a resume. Michelle's courage is there for all of Connecticut to see and appreciate. It's time for Governor Malloy to show some courage and appoint a truly independent Victim Advocate."

Suzio represents Meriden, Cheshire, Middletown, Middlefield and Rockfall. His petition calling for the suspension of the early release program can be signed online at www.senatorsuzio.com.

Casey Chadwick’s Uneasy Life after Death

Casey and her mother Wendy "I just started grief counseling. I'm always sad. I'm sad and in pain and I miss her." Wendy Hartling Hartling is the mother of Casey Chadwick, murdered in 2015 by Jean Jacques , an illegal Haitian immigrant. Jacques was convicted of the murder of Chadwick in a New London Superior Court jury trial and sentenced by Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed to a 60 year term in prison. Since Jacques is 44 years of age, the sentence was, in effect, a life sentence. Connecticut Commentary coverage of the Chadwick murder may be found here , and here and here . Jacques could not have been sentenced to death because Connecticut’s Democrat dominated General Assembly, under pressure from the state Supreme Court, had abolished Connecticut’s death penalty law in 2012 . The slaughter of Chadwick was particularly brutal. Her body had been found by a friend who, opening a door to a closet, discovered Chadwick stuffed in a dark corner drenched in blo...

Understanding North Korea Through Dramaturgy

The U.S. military is sending the Vinson Strike Group, including the carrier and two guided-missile destroyers, to operate in the Western Pacific Ocean in response to Pyongyang’s recent missile tests. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, asked about the strike force, issued a terse statement: “The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.” Is this a post-Syrian bombing mission? Will the US take out North Korea’s missile launching sites, possibly with the unspoken concurrence of China? Never let a bombing go to waste. There are some in the United States who think any such incident should be used to rid North Korea of that runty little totalitarian cock-of-the-walk who keeps his countrymen starved, in fear and at his knees. Since we only have one chance, they say, go for the clean sweep -- no more Kims. Connecticut Commentary is reprinting an earlier piece about the Kims here. Best read with a glass of port.

The Blumenthal Burisma Connection

Steve Hilton , a Fox News commentator who over the weekend had connected some Burisma corruption dots, had this to say about Connecticut U.S. Senator Dick Blumenthal’s association with the tangled knot of corruption in Ukraine: “We cross-referenced the Senate co-sponsors of Ed Markey's Ukraine gas bill with the list of Democrats whom Burisma lobbyist, David Leiter, routinely gave money to and found another one -- one of the most sanctimonious of them all, actually -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal."

Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State

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