Circling the wagons
Reading The News-Sun's Viewpoint page last week, one got the feeling the system was in a prevent defense, circling the wagons it would seem, defending the status quo legal and electoral systems.
First, there was the president of the Lake County Bar Association alleging broadly on behalf of his fellow 899 lawyers that The News-Sun "misinformed" its readers on how sex offenders are punished in Lake County courts and how victims and their families are treated by the state's attorney's office.
Then came county Clerk Willard Helander maintaining "many incorrect reports" were published in the newspaper.
Batting third was Laura Notson, director of the Lake County Children's Advocacy Center in Gurnee, an arm of the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, who maintained The News-Sun's "Too Young for Justice" series was "replete with incomplete information and factual inaccuracies." She went on to "correct them."
But like the other two, Notson corrected nothing. What she did point out was her agency does a swell job. That may be. But the fact of the matter --- and facts is what the series dealt with -- is that convicted child sex offenders in Lake County were sentenced to an average of 30 months incarceration in 2006. Is that enough punishment for sexually abusing a young child, a tween, a teenager?
Apparently, Notson, an employee of the state's attorney's office, believes so. She did not correct any of the figures used in the series. She did complain she wasn't interviewed. The News-Sun has done positive stories on her agency in the past.
The bar association spokesman, too, failed to address facts and figures used by The News-Sun. Once, again, he defended the plea bargain system used to adjudicate the cases.
As for Ms. Helander, she mainly praised her performance. The Hound hears the consultant hired by the county is currently investigating the election night breakdown where final totals weren't complete until 11 p.m.
Maybe these folks should take a cue from what happened in the 14th Congressional District and what is happening on the presidential campaign trail. Voters want change. They're tired of the status quo.
