60 Days for Murder Is Enough to Make a Preacher Swear

I am still puzzled by the case of Mary Winkler and the apparent gross negligence of the judicial system in Tennessee, well, not just Tennessee,more on that later.

The facts of this case are simple: Mary Winkler used a shotgun to shoot her husband in the back while he was sleeping, left him their to die, as he was still alive even after she blasted him, then took the children and escaped the jurisdiction. This case seems pretty cut and dried to me, too bad Fred Thompson is still not on Law & Order, I am sure we will see this parody next season.

Of course, there were allegations of spousal abuse, and some lurid sexual behavior, which, from what I can tell were uncorroborated. I am at a loss to understand the sentencing of a woman who murdered someone who, at the time, was not attacking her. If indeed she was abused, as she claimed, there are other options. Maybe, rather than shooting him in the back while he slept, Mary Winkler should have taken that opportunity to leave the house with her children and seek shelter, call authorities and file a restraining order.

I am concerned that this is just another example of our legal system's malfeasance. Regardless of whether you feel that the court system is punitive or rehabilitative, this sentence certainly sends the wrong message. Furthermore, the legal system, which should also be viewed as a deterrent, falls short of any example of this notion with a sentence that, upon further examination, will equate to a total of only 60 days in mental hospital. As I watched the sentence come down, I could only wonder how soon the next case of murder would make the airwaves.

Also on Friday morning, amid the hustle and bustle of the CR Newsroom, while we were awaiting the sentence of Winkler, Paris Hilton dominated the news coverage. With cameras and reporters following the starlets every move, I could not believe my eyes. In the end, the rift between the LA County Sheriff's office and the traffic court judge had every network putting their on air legal analysts to work. From Jeffrey Toobin, to Mark Gergaos, to Lis Wiehl, each of these television lawyers were offering play by play as if it were the the final minutes of a tie game to determine game seven of the World Series.

The final score: Paris Hilton-- 45 Days for driving on a suspended license, Mary Winkler-- 60 days for shooting and killing her husband.