Some facts on the case:
Kenneth Foster Jr., was just 19-years-old when Mauriceo Brown, a passenger in the car Foster was driving, shot Michael LaHood in San Antonio more than a decade ago. New testimony shows that Foster did not play a major role in the crime. Though Foster, Brown, Julius Steen, and Dewayne Dillard, were all traveling together that night and had committed two armed robberies prior to LaHood's murder, Steen and Dillard have stated that Foster could not have anticipated the crime. Brown, who was executed for the murder in 2006, also said that Foster did not know he was planning to kill LaHood. The men all maintain that Foster, who had borrowed the car from his grandfather, repeatedly pleaded with the group to go home before they encountered LaHood. He also tried to drive away when he heard the gunshots, but Steen and Dillard made him stop and wait for Brown. Steen received a 35-year-to-life sentence for the crime, and Dillard was given a life sentence. Foster was sentenced to death under the Texas Law of Parties that permits a person involved in a crime to be held accountable for the actions committed by someone else.
The punishment does not fit the crime, but the courts feel otherwise. This case is reminiscent of the movie "Minority Report" starring Tom Cruise, no pun intended with the title. The premise for the movie is that law enforcement has the ability to anticipate what a criminal is going to do and take them into custody before actually committing the crime. The intentions are good, but a bit premature in the execution. The same case can be made for the television program "To catch a predator." The intentions are good, but entrapment is not the answer.
The courts rendered an appropriate decision regarding the killer and the other accomplices. What happened to Mr. Foster? Mr. Foster is what is called an example. This is a very strong message that the courts are sending to potential criminals. Will it be a deterrent? If the death penalty has not done so by now, this decision will not make any difference.
Update: The Governor of Texas gave a stay of execution to Mr. Foster and commuted his sentence to life in prison. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed. Now this man will have a long time to think about how he was given a second chance at life. Let's hope he will do something special with the rest of his life.
"The weak and defenseless need someone to illuminate their concerns." Dr. BLR
30 comments:
Wow,thats crazy. Isn't Texas where Bush familty stays? I agree with you whole heartedly. the criminal jsutice system must come up with a better system if they see these deaths aren't doing the job!!
it is not called deterrent if so then the crime rate would be less than what it is now. Do not make an example of one person to get the point across. how many people are you going to make an example of in order for society to understand and refuse to commit any henious crime. it is a shame what the justice system call justice when they along with mr. foster are murders. the system is killing an innocent man when considering the circumstances of this case. first of all he should of been charge with conspiracy, robbery, and having fled the scene but not murder. he did not pull the trigger foster did and that is why is was killed by texas. the charges are ridiculuos and needs to be overturned. i am not saying he is totally innocent but with the accomplice stating that he did not know what foster was going to do and or that the other two asked him to return to get foster does not make him a killer. at that age any one panic and what he should of done was call the cops for help not fled the scene of a crime. justice will never be fair so if anyone thinks that in any case justice will be serve it is not true. we are never going to agree if the sentence was too lenient or excessive.
our men today have to make better decision on who to hang with,because now peer pressure can lead a person to mistakes and then it is too late to correct it.here you have a person who was willing to leave now because hie friends wanted or demanded him to stay he is facing a charge that belong to them (7593)
I'm glad he was given life instead of the death penalty.
If they just wanted to kill him to show to others what the punishment would be if they did the same crime, they could have used the execution of Mauriceo Brown. They don't have to give an example by killing another person who's only fault was robbery and driving the car. Not that that was right either.
6809
1048
i m glad his life was spared how ever i dont think that two people should have received the death penalty in the first place; life is crazy i dont even know what to say anymore we all r suppose to be equal but thats not the case its tooo much racism in the world tooo much
I believe that it wouldn't be fair for someone to pay with his life for someone else mistake.
I believe there is no deterrent to crime there is only motive, insanity, and the feeling that one is above the law. This indiviual made a very wrong decsion and should be approiatly sentenced. If I was given the chose of life in prison and death I would chose death. I believe death is an easy way out for a crime while life is a sentence of misery that will last for as long as one breathes.(9146)
I dont think that its right for someone to be punished for anothers wrong doing. If the killer admitted that Mr. Foster had nothing to do with this crime the judge and the prosecutor should of considered that info. 3782
I've heard of this case. It tells me one thing...stay away from Texas. That law definatly needs to be revamped. How in God's green earth am I supposed to anticipate the decisions of someone I'm with? If we were all psychic then maybe this law would make sense. It just shows me how the state of Texas will go out of its way to find more people to try and execute. (7885)
I am totally against the death penalty…. I believe that no one has the right to say when someone should die….thats God’s job….i believe that the sentencing for this crime is completely outrageous….but I have to remember they was in Texas...(0230)
The law enforcers in texas are taking the easy way out with the death penalty but what they fail to realize is they will never find a real solution to crime in their community. I think that Mr. foster should have not been chrage with the death penalty by that he should of fought the charges of being falsely accuse of that crime. What they should have charged him with was accomplice liabiliy. Mr. foster was so scared because of the charges already brought against him that he felt no chance in going against the system of justice. 1587
The law enforcers in texas are taking the easy way out with the death penalty but what they fail to realize is they will never find a real solution to crime in their community. I think that Mr. foster should have not been chrage with the death penalty by that he should of fought the charges of being falsely accuse of that crime. What they should have charged him with was accomplice liabiliy. Mr. foster was so scared because of the charges already brought against him that he felt no chance in going against the system of justice. 1587
I do not believe the punishment fit the crime, much like the "Jena 6." The punishment should fit the crime. Unfortunately, it seems more accepting to make examples of people than to do the right thing. Further, I do not believe in capital punishment. I think it is inhumane and unjust. Only GOD can judge. *2232
giving him life in prison is so much better then the death penalty especailly in a state like texas.I think using his situation to set an example wasn't a good case for the simple fact that he didn't know what he's friend was going to do. but of course the prosecution side will say that they commited two robberies earlier in the nite and were all together so he had to know something, which would be an accesory to crime.(6018)
I don't think that was a fear sentence for Foster at all. He should had never been sentence to death penalty because he was not the killer nor did he had the intention of killing anyone. I understand that he should had received a punishment for the two robberies and for driving the car that day, however a death sentence and life in prison was not the appropiate sentence for this man. Although he got a second chance to live, it is almost as if he was dead because he is now incarcerated for the rest of his life. His freedom was taken away and he has no chances of being part of society. # 5839
All I can say is thank you Jesus....This man deserved another chance, he pulled no trigger. Hopefulle he can become of good wisdom and reach out to help others...spc5294
It is a good thing he has life in prison because his first sentence did not fit the crime. And it would have been unjust to kill a man for not killing another. SPC 5936
What he later received fits the crime more appropiately. I am glad that he was not executed. I always wondered what the deal with Texas is.spc5965
To me this is a good example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though Foster was involved in the robberies he was just the driver in the shootings and was forced into it. I believe there is no way he shouldve been on death row. The life sentence is alittle to harsh for me too. But a the justice system is trying to make examples out of people
ecc 3950
Death penalty is very sad and hard in the same time. But when they give you the opportunity to maintain yourself on life and to maintain you in jail. You should said thank you to life. Because get killed by a elctronic chairwith high voltage will be horrible. 5794
wow this is very shocking
ms0777
the death penalty is wack and not really a good idea.i think that its just a plot to make room in the prison system for more people. i think that he shouldnt have had to give his life for someone else stupid mistake.
The problem with the death penalty is that we have seen no dramatic decline in murder, crime , ect. It simply does not work. Sure it gives the family a sense of revenge and some of the guys they execute I could care less (Dahmer). However, revenge should not over shadow results. I am from a country that executed the second most people in the world last year. It is not declining crime there or here.
5576
Prof. I don't believe my firs blog took if so please delete this one thanks! I believe our men today have to make better decision on who to hang with, because the peer pressure thats out there now can lead a person to mistakes and then it is too late to correct what has been done. Here you have a person who was willing to leave now because hie friends wanted or demanded him to stay he is facing a charge that belong to them. This is what happens when you hangout with the wrong crowd. SPC 6169
I still don't really understand how you can be held accountable for something someone else does if you do not know he is going to do it. It will also be pretty hard for him to do anything special with his life since he will be in prison for it. SPC 3027
It's our great system at it again.
We are all adults and must be held accountable for our actions. You can certainly find better group of young men to hang out with. Never put yourself in this kind of situation. Especially, when you know you don't have a chance.SPC(8725)
I am glad that an innocence life was spared .However it just goes to show you how peer pressure had a major role in this young man life .I don't agree with the death penalty ,I don't believe someone should take another person's life.
A.B 1291
Even though Foster was not aware of what was going to happen he had a moral obligation to notify the authorities when the assassination took place. By not notifying the proper authorities he became an accomplish of the crime.However, I think it is wrong from the State to charge him as he was the shooter and planner of the crime.
ES 1810
Darnell I don't agree with the court's decision for several reasons. One being why is Foster being punished when he was aware of of Brown's intentions? Now if he had a clear understanding as to what Brown had in mind while driving him around. Then perhaps my opinion would change. And I never really agreed with death penalty to send a message to other people who commit crimes such as murder. For the simple fact that that particular person didn't even have the time to think about that crime he committed because they were sentenced to death. Now what lesson was learned there, you kill somebody and instead going to prison like everybody else, you get the death penalty. What sense does that make, if any at all?
I.D.8527
I believe that men are so easily influenced by their peers and are very concerned about what their friends think of them.Although Foster didn't know that they were planning to kill LaHood, he still took part in armed robberies. Very bad decision, some may not think that it is as bad as a murder. But it is still against the law, peoples lives are still being put on the line. Anything could have went wrong during that robbery and it could have been Foster that lost his life.Personally I do not agree with the death penalty and I believe that this would have been a very severe punishment for Foster, considering the circumstances. But, hopefully he is very grateful and will make better decisions in the future.
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