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Former SLA Member Sara Jane Olson to Leave Prison

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Mon Mar 16, 2009 at 08:40:16 PM EST
Tags: Sara Jane Olson (all tags)
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After 7 years, Sara Jane Olson, now 62, is leaving prison. She's scheduled to return to Minnesota on parole, but Gov. Tim Pawlenty is trying to block that and force her to remain in California.

As I wrote here, Sara Jane Olson is not a yo-yo and they should stop treating her like one. Here are some older posts I wrote on Sara Jane's life in prison, on how her prison term got extended and how the extension was later thrown out.

Here's more on her guilty plea to the second degree murder charge. And from CNN on her re-arrest after being paroled the first time.

Unless Minnesota is unable to supervise Ms. Olson, she should go back to Minnesota where her family is. The Governor and the police organizations need to get off her case. It's not up to them, nor should it be.

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    Former SLA Member Sara Jane Olson to Leave Prison | 22 comments (22 topical)
    time to let this go (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by mikeel on Mon Mar 16, 2009 at 10:17:48 PM EST
    An excellent post, and I'm just shocked at all this nimbyism.  

    California needs an overhaul in its criminal justice system, which just simply costs too much.  We're still in the costly, three strikes, police chase of the day, lock everyone up regardless of what crime committed mentality.

    It's so costly, and unfortunately crime is a third rail in California as it is many states.  This started in back in the 80s and 90s, when George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson were governors, and is being perpetuated by state Sen. George Runner, who now wants to take away voting right for all ex-convixts, regardless of the crime committed.

    um, she was a (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by cpinva on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:22:17 AM EST
    violent offender. a very violent offender, exactly the kind of person we've all more or less agreed should be kept behind bars, as opposed to the non-violent offenders.

    would she have only been charged with second degree murder initially, had she been caught and arrested when the crimes were committed? would she only have received a 6 year sentence?

    i don't know, does anyone here know?

    According to Jeralyn's link to her own (none / 0) (#8)
    by oculus on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:26:16 AM EST
    post re the guilty please, three defendants, including Olsen, were sentenced to six years, Ms. Harris to seven years.

    Parent
    Grandstanding nimby (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by herb the verb on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 11:09:22 AM EST
    Everyone here arguing that Olson (and yes, since she legally changed her name, that is her name) needs to be kept in California to serve her probationary period (apparently because that is "more punishment" for her crimes) do not understand that it is a bad precedent to pick and chose where prisoners shoud serve their parole based on a popularity contest or how bad their crimes were.

    It is a given that all crimes are bad. That is why they are called "CRIMES" and why people convicted of them are sent to PRISON. After they have served their prison sentence, they typically have a period of probation to make sure they do not reoffend and that they properly reintigrate into society. To facilitate this process, the states have reached mutual agreements, we take your probation cases if you take ours, as it is in the interests of society as a whole that convicted felons get the best opportunity to not reoffend, the best support structure to ensure they do not offend, and the community has the best opportunity to not be burdened by their potential future crimes.

    So we should toss away that concept because some people don't like Sara Jane Olson and/or the crimes she committed as Kathleen Soliah, member of the SLA? If you have a problem with the concept of probation as a method of reintigrating people convicted of crimes back into society, that is certainly one position to take. To pick and choose how that method is implimented in order to use it as a tool to further punish someone is subverting it's intended purpose.

    St. Paul MN (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by jgherder on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:51:13 PM EST
    I have live in the St. Paul area for 25 years and I have no respect for Pawlenty or the Police.  Go back and take a look at the behavior of the police department during the Republican Convention.  Today and a news show, a police spokesman said that if the family missed her they should move to California, so they want to punish anyone who's associated with her.  This bunch of creeps are every bit as bad as the films I've seen on the LA police department.

    I'm not defending this women, but she served her time and since sending prisoners back to their hometowns to serve parole is a common practice, there is no reason that this woman should not be allowed to serve her parole in St. Paul.

    People should be wondering why she has such incredible support here.  Hopefully, Obama will be able to do something about the Nazis who came to power under Bush.

    That is an interesting question (none / 0) (#19)
    by nyjets on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 01:32:21 PM EST
    Why does she have as much support as she does. She particpated in violent bank robberies, on of which resulted in the death of a customer. She kicked a bank teller which resulted in a miscarriage. SHe particpated in a series of bombing. How can people totally disregard her past.
    As far as serving her time, a lot of people feel that 6/7 years is an insufficient amount of time in prison for her crimes. These people do have a valid point.


    Parent
    6 years for murder (none / 0) (#2)
    by nyjets on Mon Mar 16, 2009 at 10:27:58 PM EST
    I am sorry, that is a very light sentence for murder. I do not care what her age is. I can understand why people would want her to stay in prison.

    She wasn't convicted of murder (none / 0) (#5)
    by Inspector Gadget on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:17:09 AM EST
    No one was tried for the murder from what I read.

    Apparently, this woman did kick the stomach of a pregnant bank employee causing a miscarriage. I don't care how Pawlenty treats her.

    She only got caught because the case was featured on TV. Her plan and desire was to live under an assumed name for the rest of her life without doing any time of any kind for what she did. I don't see remorse or accountability in that.

    She was living the socialite life that she tormented her victims for.

    Parent

    According to Jeralyn's link to (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:24:52 AM EST
    her own post about the guilty pleas, four defendants (Sara Jane Olson, William Harris, Emily Harris Montague and Michael Bortin) pleaded guilty to second degree murder; a woman was killed.  
    .


    Parent
    Hmmm.... (none / 0) (#9)
    by Inspector Gadget on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:40:35 AM EST
    Neither Emily nor Bill Harris, nor Soliah/Olson was ever charged in Opsahl's death. Soliah was charged in the attempted L.A. bombings, fled California and later married a prominent St. Paul physician. In Minnesota, she became what the younger Emily Harris would have described as the quintessential "bourgeois pig"- with a large home, three daughters and a reputation for hosting elegant dinner parties.

    Article I read.

    It's late. Maybe I'm reading it wrong.


    Parent

    Here is an LA Times link: (none / 0) (#10)
    by oculus on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:53:06 AM EST
    LAT

    This article says Soliah pleaded guilty to second degree murder.  Another LAT article talks about a second case also.

    Parent

    Guess that Law.com site isn't (none / 0) (#11)
    by Inspector Gadget on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 12:56:28 AM EST
    very reputable.

    My mistake.

    Parent

    Here is AP via Sacramento Bee: (none / 0) (#12)
    by oculus on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 01:01:28 AM EST
    AP

    Doesn't give the term of each sentence but says she pleaded guilty in two cases.  Doesn't say what she pleaded guilty to!

    Parent

    I would love for someone to challenge (none / 0) (#3)
    by Anne on Mon Mar 16, 2009 at 10:29:35 PM EST
    Pawlenty's position, as I have to believe that there are people being released from Minnesota prisons whose crimes were far more serious, and whose histories are far more extensive than Olson's; bet he doesn't object to them leaving prison to live in Minnesota.

    Just curious (none / 0) (#15)
    by Wile ECoyote on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 09:07:33 AM EST
    but do you have any links to support your post?

    Parent
    No, I don't - I just think that (none / 0) (#22)
    by Anne on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 02:48:40 PM EST
    if Pawlenty is not objecting to Minnesotans who were convicted of the same or similar crimes being paroled into communities within the state, his whining about Olson just sounds hypocritical and grandstanding.  After all, the woman lived there for years as a for-all-intents-and-purposes normal and law-abiding citizen before she gave herself up and stood trial in California.  Is Pawlenty really trying to argue that she poses a greater threat among her family and friends than anyone else whose criminal history is confined to the State of Minnesota?

    Parent
    Amazing (none / 0) (#4)
    by otherlisa on Mon Mar 16, 2009 at 10:48:13 PM EST
    Talk about political grandstanding. If she's been paroled, then ideally you want her to be in a situation where she has the support of family and friends and community so she can continue to rehabilitate herself. What good does it do anyone for her to remain in California, other than making Pawlenty look tuff on teh criminals?

    Technicall speaking (none / 0) (#14)
    by Bemused on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 07:27:32 AM EST
      She has not served out her sentence. Parole is a continuation of the sentence. Parolles remain on supervision and are subject to revocation of parole and being ordered to complete a prison term if they violate the terms of parole.

      It is not unusual for state parolees to be allowed to leave the sentencing jurisdiction, if it is determined that the parolee has ties in a different jurisdiction that will increase the likelihood of rehabilitation and reintegration into society and the receiving jurisdiction agrees to assume supervision acceptable to the sentencing jurisdiction.

       I have no sympathy for Soliah either and would have little problem if Minnesota simply told California it's not willing to assume supervision and spend the tax money of Minnesotans so that this woman can live where she finds more agreeable.

      My question is why Pawlenty is seeking to go at the problem from the other end. It seems that California's judgment is reasonable  that her strong ties to Minnesota (even if made as a fugitive) would --if she is appropriately supervised there make her reintegration easier and Minnesota has control over whether to accept supervision.

      On the other hand, it would also seem that her defenders who assert she poses no risk of violating parole because she is such a nice and sympathetic former terrorist take away from the primary argument in favor of allowing return to Minnesota. If she's a sure thing to be a good girl in California the need to place her in Minnesota to improve her chances is greatly diminished.

     

    She can go back (none / 0) (#16)
    by jbindc on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 10:46:40 AM EST
    Link

    Too bad for the people of Minnesota.  Maybe she should move further southeast and move in with Ayers and Dorhn? <snark>

    I think I heard that NPR (none / 0) (#20)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 01:47:20 PM EST
    will be doing it's weekly interview with Chief Bratton today and that this will be one of the topics.

    intent (none / 0) (#21)
    by diogenes on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 02:44:41 PM EST
    She intended to bomb a police car; the bomb didn't go off although it was planted.  Part of the theory of not giving the death penalty to cop killers and attempted cop killers is that they should instead get increased sentences and onerous paroles; this is designed to have both preventive and deterrant value.

    OT question... (none / 0) (#23)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Mar 17, 2009 at 02:49:59 PM EST
    is it pronounced die-oh-jeans or dee-ah-jen-ess?

    Parent
    Former SLA Member Sara Jane Olson to Leave Prison | 22 comments (22 topical)