a dog-eared town

I’m thinking that it may be too late to save New Hampshire from the stupidity that is Massachusetts justice. The Union Leader has a story about a fine upstanding yout, who I’m sure his rap career was about to take off, and his wonderful interactions with the Derry constabulary.

A 19-year-old driver who police say led them on a high-speed chase through apple orchards and side roads, hitting 70 mph, already has a dozen charges on his criminal record.

Nice.

But at least he was caught. Eventually.

McInnes, of 3 Jenney Dickey Hill Road, Derry, was caught after he pulled into a Hovey Road driveway, 23 minutes after the chase began. He was charged with reckless operation of a motor vehicle, reckless conduct, placing others in danger and disobeying an officer, among other charges.

But wait, surely this must just be a misunderstanding between this fine upstanding yout and the constabulary.

Police said he has racked up a dozen charges on his criminal record during the last two years, including second-degree assault, theft, reckless conduct, drug possession, resisting arrest and operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

McInnis was sentenced to a year in jail on another charge of reckless conduct Jan. 4, though he was free after having all but 50 days of his sentence suspended. On Jan. 10, he was found guilty of operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol and fined $500, according to police records.

Derry police Detective Christine Muise said Mcinnis was also out on bail on four felony counts of credit card fraud. She said he was stopped last Sunday by Derry police for operating after suspension of his license and released on a summons.

Thank you to the judge that suspended his sentence. What a fine grasp of human understanding there. But then, why did the second judge not stick him in jail when he was convicted less than a week later? Let’s say that again, CONVICTED, less than a week later.

And why did the third judge or maybe it’s the same judge then allow him out on bail after being convicted TWICE this year? And while I can’t really blame the Derry constabulary for only giving him a summons, you’d think with their interactions with this yout, that he would have been locked up. I’m sure at that point he was a known criminal, er yout.

So again we have a wonderful tale of a hardened criminal getting the benefit of the doubt and being released on an unsuspecting public. I guess it’s lucky he didn’t actually hurt anyone as I would have held the judges personally responsible for shirking their duty and allowing a sociopath out on the streets.

Sadly, these tales happen more and more often in New Hampshire. It really seems as if I moved north just in time to see Taxachusetts take over New Hampshire.