cur-mud-geon:
anyone who hates hypocrisy and pretense and has the temerity to say so; anyone with the habit of pointing out unpleasant facts in an engaging and humorous manner
In an earlier blog, I discussed the impending release of Billy Lee Morford back into society with no monitoring by the state. He was still in the system at that point, but it seemed quite clear that he would be released.
He was released from state supervision on December 26th last year and was required to find a new place to live since he had been living in a state-provided home in Milwaukee.
He found that new place on South 26th Street in Milwaukee and has complied with his release requirements by registering his address. He is living in a house that has been converted into four rental units. So who lives in the other three and were they aware of his history?
The other three rental units house families that have a total of eleven underage children. According to news reports, they didn’t learn of his presence until the question was raised by reporters.
So, not only is he no longer under state supervision due to our state laws but he is also within 25 to 50 feet of eleven youngsters! He was formerly prevented from being in close proximity to kids. He was forbidden from participating in the Halloween tradition of Trick or Treat. He was monitored closely.
Now, because the state couldn’t find doctors or psychologists that would testify that Mr. Morford was more likely to re-offend than not, he sits in the midst of three families and their eleven children.
He is ill and has been told that he has a year or so at the most to live. Maybe he is too ill to even think of those youngsters. It is true that he needs to live somewhere. It is true that the state now says he has paid for his crimes and is no longer the threat he was once believed to be. It is true that some seven or eight doctors or psychologists have testified that he is less likely rather than more likely to offend in the same manner again. It is true that the law says the judge had to release him.
All this is true, but is it right? Only time will tell. And, if Mr. Morford doesn’t re-offend before he meets his maker, then that situation will have been resolved with no more anguish to kids or their families. But then what about the next person released in the same manner, and the one after that and on and on?
It doesn’t seem proper but I’m only a citizen and not a doctor or psychologist with the training to be able to tell others what is right. I sure hope their training qualifies them to make these kinds of decisions…even though the “more likely or less likely” test seems very vague and subjective from my perspective.
While this case is situated on Milwaukee’s South side, who is to say where the next will be? Maybe Germantown or maybe Menomonee Falls or...?
