anaheim-gazette 1964-03-26

GAZETTE Opinions Virgil Pinkley, Editor & Publisher 4—The Gazette Thursday, March 26, 1964 "Thank You, Your Honor" (Editor's Note: The CALIFORNIA PATROLMAN MAGAZINE recently published a radio editorial by Gene Ragle of Station KA-HI, in Auburn. It is one all citizens should read, study and resolve to do something about. It will shock many, but unless we take individual and collective action nothing will happen. Our courts and legal profession have much to answer for on the increasing crime rate. Many lawyers have no right to practice employing techniques and "values" they utilize. Radio and TV stations, newspapers, magazines all share in this growing menace. Whenever mass media praise and glorify crime and criminals, or fails in frontal attacks against judges, juries, lawyers and officials who are lax, stupid or incompetent it fails in its duties. Freedom of press and speech by all means. But these basic freedoms imply and require assuming responsibilities tool allowed to plead guilty to overt parking, with about the same effect. Judge Stoll sentenced Mealman and his co-murderer, Tovson, to life prison. But here's the catch. Statistics show that the average life sentence lasts only about seven and on half years. After that the killers are turned loose to the California Authority to kill, rob, and rape, again and again and again. And this can be exactly the case with Roger Mealman and his accomplices. Mealman is an habitual criminal, legally identified as such under California law. He has spent the major part of his adult life in prison. There is no evidence to suggest that prison has ever changed his attitudes in any way. When he is not in prison, he hard at work, committing crimes against you and against anyone who gets in his way. Patrolman Carlson got in his way. "Thank you, your Honor," were the words uttered by the cold-blooded murderer of Officer Glen Carlson. Roger M. Mealman, to Judge Vernon Stoll of Nevada County, upon receiving a life sentence in lieu of a well deserved death sentence. In response to the hundreds of telephone calls we have had concerning this miscarriage of justice, we are presenting the following radio editorial which was delivered several times over Station KAHI, Auburn. This editorial has attracted much favorable comment. If you are concerned about the continuing increase in the crime rate in California — and if you wonder why criminals so often seem to injure or kill victims without worrying about the consequences, you will find a basic reason for it all in the courts. And last Tuesday's (January 28th) decision on the sentences given Roger Mealman and Clifford Toyson, Jr. by Nevada County Superior Court Judge Vernon Stoll, serves to illustrate the problem in a most shocking manner. showed that Mealman and his two ed to the cold-blooded killing of California Highway Patrolman Glen Carlson last November 15, while they were attempting to avoid capture after committing a bank robbery in Sacramento. Police records, readily available to both Nevada County District Attorney Harold Berliner, and to Judge Stoll, showed that Mealman and his two accomplices actually planned their crime orgy while they were still in places. Mealman is an habitual criminal, legally identified as such under California law. He has spent the major part of his adult life in prison. There is no evidence to suggest that prison has ever changed his attitudes in any way. When he is not in prison, he hard at work, committing crimes against you and against anyone who gets in his way. Patrolman Carlson got in his way — and was coldly gunned down. Yet, Judge Stoll told Mealman that he felt a life sentence to prison would be a greater punishment than the death penalty. As a result of this amazing sentence, Mealman and his associates may very well be free, within just a few short years, to kill again, and again, and again. This case of judicial irresponsibility is by no means unusual. For instance, you may recall the tragic case of the traffic deaths of two children — members of the Anderson family — on Highway 49, north of Auburn at a treacherous curve. The family was driving to church on a peaceful Sunday morning. Ray Robinson of Roseville, driving fast, on the wrong side of the road, and drunk, plowed into the Anderson family car. Everyone in the car was injured—and two of the Anderson children were killed. The scene was so horrible that the Highway Patrolman who handled the accident resigned the next day, saying that he could never face another situation like that. The drunk driver who killed two innocent children on their way to Sunday school later pled guilty to two counts of manslaughter before Superior Court Judge Ronald Cameron of Placer County. And to this admitted drunken driver who killed two children, Judge Cameron gave a sentence of 45 WEEKENDS in the Placer County jail, plus three years of freedom on probation. So — during the week, Mr. Robinson is free to work, play and live as he wishes. On Saturday and Sunday, he sits in the Placer County jail. And the two Anderson children are non- Police records, readily available to both Nevada County District Attorney Harold Berliner, and to Judge Stoll, showed that Mealman and his two accomplices actually planned their crime orgy while they were still in prison, awaiting parole from a previous sentence. Once released on parole, they followed their plan perfectly. They robbed a bank. And when they thought it necessary to kill a highway patrolman in order to escape, they did that too. In fact, according to authoritative sources, the killers admitted that they were also prepared to kill any bystanders who might have witnessed their crimes. The same sources also indicate that Roger Mealman was proud of the fact that he actually pulled the trigger of the gun which killed Patrolman Carlson. And he pulled that trigger again and again — until he was quite certain that the officer was dead. The records don't show that Mealman's accomplices made any real effort to prevent the killing. However, they apparently didn't actually do any shooting, so District Attorney Harold Berliner and Judge Vernon Stoll allowed them to enter pleas of "guilty" on a conditional basis. This made it impossible for them to receive death sentences. In the case of Mealman, the confessed killer of Patrolman Carlson, a conditionally guilty plea was not permitted. His plea of "guilty" was on the basis on which he went to court for sentencing. However, as developments now show, this habitual criminal and cold-blooded killer might as well have been So — during the week, Mr. Robinson is free to work, play and live as he wishes. On Saturday and Sunday, he sits in the Placer County jail. And the two Anderson children are permanently dead. And their family knows grief every day of every week of every year. The point of our commentary is this. If you want protection from your courts and your law enforcement officers — you must ask for it loudly and consistently. If you are revolted by the spectacle of killers who have their wrists slammed and are then turned loose to come to your community to kill again, then what are you doing about it? Did you write a letter to the judge about his handling of the Robinson child-slaughter case? Do you plan to write a letter to the judge about the handling of the Carlson murder case? Do you pay attention to crime news and trial news? Do you re-elect judges and other officials on the basis of voting habit instead of analyzing their performance in office? REMEMBER — if elected officials are stupid, incompetent, vicious, or senile during their first term in office, you can reasonably console yourself by saying that they were installed by mistake. But if they continue in office after their abilities, or LACK of them, become known, the fault is yours and yours alone. You put them in office. If you don't like them — YOU CAN VOTE THEM OUT! This is Gene Ragle. Thank you. CAN'T YA SEE? PEOPLE LIKE ME THIS WAY! GOLDWATER POLICY STATEMENTS Honor" be exactly the case man and his accomis an habitual crimtified as such under he has spent the major life in prison. There suggest that prison his attitudes in any not in prison, he is committing crime against anyone who Patrolman Carlson State Senate Reports 1.5 Million Back Chanc State Senate Reports 1.5 Million Back Change In Financing of Schools By John A. Murdy, Jr. An estimated 1,500,000 declarations of support poured into the legislature this past week urging improved state financing for California's Public Educational System. The declarations came in the form of petitions with signatures from thousands of concerned school officials, teachers, parents, and students. If the petitions had been placed in a single stack, it would have towered several feet high. Locally, from Orange County we received thousands of signatures. I was quite impressed with the effort that has gone into this project. We certainly will do our best to improve the fiscal affairs of state education. But it will be impossible for me to answer all, of you individually so please accept my apologies for not making a personal acknowledgement. I would like to say here that I have received all your petitions and we are making every effort to come up with a plan to improve the financial picture of public education in California this year. Best estimates are that the special session will carry into April at least two weeks. The budget session end the last week in March. The local allocations board which provides state school bond money to school districts for building programs, is already feeling the pinch of dwindling funds. Priority lists are now being set up for what's left of the money. To give you an idea of what’s happening, there are several school projects approved in Orange County worth about $13 million dollars now pending. But funds cannot be apportioned at this time. At the last meeting of the locations Board, of which a member, we had to action of nearly $23 million worth of school projects. As of March 11, a total of $115,301,851 in school bus applications throughout state had been approved submitted. Of this amount, 484,606 is approved but not portioned and another $445 has been submitted but approved. Many millions more are be requested in the next months but right now no school rooms and buildings being delayed in 44 of our counties. Not a very pretty picture paint unless you are to against the public school program. But I get the feeling some people in Sacramento playing politics with schools. "Nancy has a slight fever, Doctor, and this funny-looking little rash. I just thought Pd call and..." At a time like this, or any other time you need information in a hurry, your telephone is always there to call on. What else gives you so much help, in so many ways—at so little cost? Pacific Telephone BART OF THE NATION-WIDE BELL SYSTEM LAW IN ACTION FINAL JUDGMENTS Some law suits may take a long time since lawyers try to keep their clients out of them. Even when there is a lawsuit a lawyer may try to work out a private settlement favorable to his client. If a person is sued he must respond quickly. His failure to answer a summons or a complaint may mean a loss by default, and the plaintiff may well get a judgment for all that he sought. How can the loser get the court to set aside such a default judgment? He can do so by showing that the plaintiff misled him or that he did not in fact ignore the complaint, but illness, excusable negligence, or a mistake caused the default. As a rule, a judgement stands if not appealed. Thus, Mrs. Rockhead sued for a divorce, and the couple agreed to an out-of-court property settlement. Mr. Rockhead did not appear in court, and the court entered a default judgment, a part of which was the settlement. Later Mrs. Rockhead found that the settlement omitted some of the property. Suspecting her husband, she sued to set aside the first judgment. The court ruled that there was fraud in obtaining the first judgment. The case could begin anew. Now and then the defendant is not properly served with the complaint and summons to court. Perhaps he cannot be found, and the plaintiff serves him by publishing these papers in a newspaper. When the defendant fails to respond to the notice, the court will enter a default judgment. Later the defendant may show the court facts to justify the court in setting aside the judgment on the ground that he was not properly notified of the fact that At the last meeting of the Allocations Board, of which I am a member, we had to postpone action of nearly $23 million worth of school projects. As of March 11, a total of 15,301,851 in school building applications throughout the state had been approved or submitted. Of this amount, $71,606 is approved but not apportioned and another $43,817 has been submitted but not proved. Many millions more are to be requested in the next few months but right now needed school rooms and buildings are being delayed in 44 of our 58 counties. Not a very pretty picture to unt unless you are totally insist the public school problem. But I get the feeling that the people in Sacramento are living politics with our tools. The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom. —Henry Ward Beecher If you would reform the world from its errors and vices, begin by enlisting the mothers. —Charles Simmons Simply having children does not make mothers. —John A. Sheddi A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary. —Dorothy Canfield Fisher No joy in nature is so sublimely affecting as the joy of a mother at the good fortune of her child. —Jean Paul Richter "A duty performed ..." Duty is carrying on promptly and faithfully the affairs now before you. —Goethe It's easy to forgive mistakes, but hard to forgive inaction. —Thomas D. Cabot Whatever it is your duty to do, you can do without harm to yourself. —Mary Baker Eddy It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do so little. —Sydney Smith VENTURA'S LEAD Ventura County's 14 per cent school enrollment growth this year led all other counties in California. Specimen Trees and Shrubs Complete Nursery Service Botts Nursery 1228 W. LINCOLN AVENUE KE 5-5450 "Our Business Is Growing" HILGENFELD MORTUARY Faithful, Courteous, Service 20 E.Broadway, Anaheim PHONE KE 5-4105 In Section with the to the typo on the pro Over half (41%) payments be all how applicable man emp Copie the work and avail Industrial Atten Specific work. Evy to appren employed shall be or Relations Apprentice In acc Code of the County h applicable to Basic Rural Per Hour $4.14 Cent 4.06 Drift Tr 4.20 Drift Tr 3.78 Enn me 4.26 Equ 3.36 Lab str 3.57 Open pu too & too sif 4.56 Track don and 4.56 Skipi Ty and 4.66 Skipi Ty 4.66 Univ Open hoe cla 3.36 Plage Abbrev wage rates right hand phi phi Appren 1777.5 of th The app Craft Cement Ma Any cla $2.60 per lective bar cation of the 1773.1 of th Dated: Mar (SEAL) Publish An