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Oscar Pistorius Release Date Set For August 21

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 11:23:12 AM EST
Tags: Oscar Pistorius (all tags)
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Oscar Pistorius will be released from prison on August 21. He will have served 10 months of his 5 year sentence.

South African sentencing guidelines that say non-dangerous prisoners should spend only one-sixth of a custodial sentence behind bars.

He will serve the remainder of his sentence on home detention. He also faces the state's appeal of the dismissal of the murder count against him in November.

He has been serving his sentence in the hospital wing of the prison.

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    Oscar Pistorius Release Date Set For August 21 | 19 comments (19 topical)

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    Seriously... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 11:57:30 AM EST
    ...I would imagine Reeva would have some issue in the labeling of Oscar as a 'non-dangerous' person.

    Her Parents:

    We have forgiven Mr Pistorius even though he took the life of our precious daughter, Reeva. Our lives will never be the same as we live with the sadness of her death every day. Reeva had so much to offer this world and we were all robbed of her life when she was killed.

    As her family, we do not seek to avenge her death and we do not want Mr Pistorius to suffer; that will not bring her back to us. However a person found guilty of a crime must be held accountable for their actions.

    Statistics show that our society is under continuous attack from criminals and murderers. Incarceration of 10 months for taking a life is simply not enough. We fear that this will not send out the proper message and serve as the deterrent it should.

    And there is this:

    Meanwhile, the State's appeal against the former paralympic athlete's conviction will be heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal in November.
    Yup. Ladies, stay far, far away from this dude. (none / 0) (#4)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 04:01:59 PM EST


    Parent
    I think that as long as ... (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 06:24:51 PM EST
    ... Oscar Pistorius keeps / is kept away from firearms, he'll likely be fine and no threat to anyone. Testimony and evidence offered during his trial alluded to his unhealthy affinity for guns. At the time of Reeva Steenkamp's death, he had placed an order for three shotguns, two revolvers and a rifle. This is a man who really has no business being around such weaponry.

    There is often a fine line between requiring a just penance of the convicted, and exacting punitive retribution from them. Pistorius has served his sentence, subject to a higher court's final determination regarding the State's appeal of the finding by Judge Thokozile Masipa that he was not guilty of murder. Further, he appears to have been thoroughly chastened by his experience with the South African legal system.

    As for Judge Masipa, who is currently a candidate to become Judge President of Limpopo Province, she was recently compelled to defend herself from criticism as a result of the fallout from the Pistorius case, which she attributed to public frustration and disappointment with the final result.

    "A judge must respect criticism. It is not personal," she told the government panel during her interview. "We are not on the bench to please people, we are not there to win a popularity contest. We are there to do a job and, once you know you've done your job, there really isn't anything to worry about."

    Having watched the trial, I did not see or hear evidence presented by the State which sustained its charge that Pistorius deliberately murdered Steenkamp. I think Judge Masipa did an outstanding job, and I believe her verdict finding him guilty of the lesser charge of culpable homicide to be both fair and just.

    As it stands, Oscar Pistorius will have to live with the tragic results of his reckless behavior for the rest of his days, as of course will Reeva Steenkamp's parents and family for the remainder of theirs.

    Aloha.

    The state bungled the case. (none / 0) (#8)
    by Mr Natural on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 06:47:37 PM EST
    The defense attorney did what defense attorneys are supposed to do.  

    I'm guessing that there are a lot of cases like this in America, cases where police department assumptions and shortcuts and gee-this-one-is-so-obviously - in-the-baggism get overlooked because the defense isn't as aggressive.

    Lucky for all of us, the case was 12,000 miles away from most of us and we didn't need to get emotionally involved.

    Parent

    Well, it certainly did not help ... (none / 0) (#9)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jun 09, 2015 at 03:00:05 AM EST
    ... the State's case that a "very expensive" watch worth R65,000 (or about $10,000 US) belonging to Oscar Pistorius went missing from his home during the initial hours after the homicide, while the premises were ostensibly under police guard and no one else was allowed in or out. That theft alone cast a huge shadow over the subsequent credibility of the entire investigation.

    Parent
    No opinion (none / 0) (#1)
    by NYShooter on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 11:40:04 AM EST
    on this individual case.

    But, isn't it somewhat ironic that South Africa, whom we in the U.S. have always considered ourselves as having a far more "advanced, and enlightened society," actually seems to have a far more advanced and enlightened society than we do...............at least, as it pertains to our criminal justice system?

    It's not that weird. (none / 0) (#3)
    by Mr Natural on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 11:58:36 AM EST
    I've read a little about some versions of African tribal justice.  I wish I remembered where.  If a society doesn't support the construction of prisons, you don't imprison people.  Justice for less than the capital offenses seemed to be more a process of public confrontation and shaming.  It was immediate or quick.  The village and the victims were intimately involved.

    Our current system, in which every action has been appropriated by or delegated to proxy actors, is sick.

    That said, I'll spare everyone my opinion on the Pistorius case.

    Parent

    American exceptionalism (none / 0) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 04:09:21 PM EST
    strikes again

    Parent
    If Advanced... (none / 0) (#6)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Jun 08, 2015 at 04:50:05 PM EST
    ...means that you lack the skills in figuring out your girlfriend isn't an intruder after you shoot her dead, then get out of prison 10 months later, sure they are leaps and bounds ahead of everyone.

    Then again, when your competition is places like Texas and this case you may have a point.

    Parent

    Where are they going to strap (none / 0) (#10)
    by Uncle Chip on Tue Jun 09, 2015 at 10:00:40 AM EST
    his ankle monitor???

    Probably on what ever part of him that (none / 0) (#11)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Jun 09, 2015 at 10:45:44 AM EST
    appears to have been thoroughly chastened by his experience with the South African legal system.


    Parent
    Spoken like stereotypical ugly Americans. (none / 0) (#12)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Jun 09, 2015 at 01:15:23 PM EST
    Since neither you nor Chip know what you're talking about in this particular matter, why don't both of you do your host a favor and refrain from trolling?

    Parent
    Why don't you do us all a favor (2.00 / 1) (#13)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Jun 09, 2015 at 01:37:53 PM EST
    and quit writing things like:

    (He)appears to have been thoroughly chastened by his experience with the South African legal system.

    I mean, really, you write he appears to be...and grab this..
    chastened.

    First of all when you write "appears" you are stating your opinion.

    And he is chastened?? Really?? I'd say he is happy as all get out and praying that he doesn't get retried.

    And can you tell us why a robbery after the crime has anything to do with the crime?? I mean he admitted shooting her hours before the robbery.

    Now, you were saying.... that neither Chip or I know what we are talking about.

    I'd say we know as much as you...and at least we didn't state opinion as fact and then try to cloud the issue.

    Parent

    You can say that again. (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by Mr Natural on Tue Jun 09, 2015 at 09:40:58 PM EST


    Parent
    Why don't you do us all a favor (none / 0) (#14)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue Jun 09, 2015 at 01:37:53 PM EST
    and quit writing things like:

    (He)appears to have been thoroughly chastened by his experience with the South African legal system.

    I mean, really, you write he appears to be...and grab this..
    chastened.

    First of all when you write "appears" you are stating your opinion.

    And he is chastened?? Really?? I'd say he is happy as all get out and praying that he doesn't get retried.

    And can you tell us why a robbery after the crime has anything to do with the crime?? I mean he admitted shooting her hours before the robbery.

    Now, you were saying.... that neither Chip or I know what we are talking about.

    I'd say we know as much as you...and at least we didn't state opinion as fact and then try to cloud the issue.

    Parent

    lol, I didn't meant that literally... (none / 0) (#16)
    by Mr Natural on Tue Jun 09, 2015 at 10:34:30 PM EST


    Parent
    He does have a problem (none / 0) (#17)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Wed Jun 10, 2015 at 04:51:29 AM EST
    with double-posting sometimes, but in each and every case he was so provoked that he couldn't help himself.  :;-)

    Parent
    I am so fast I can do two at the exact (none / 0) (#18)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Jun 10, 2015 at 02:30:59 PM EST
    same time.

    Parent
    The (none / 0) (#19)
    by Mordiggian 88 on Wed Jun 10, 2015 at 07:43:13 PM EST
    question remains.

    Parent
    Oscar Pistorius Release Date Set For August 21 | 19 comments (19 topical)

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