
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 17, 1990                   TAG: 9006190364
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: C2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

GIARRATANO CASE HARD TO UNDERSTAND

AS A POORLY educated person, there are many things I do not understand. One thing I find hard to comprehend is the Joe Giarratano case. There seems to be, at least to a person such as myself, ample evidence for a retrial.

According to a letter I received from Attorney General Mary Sue Terry, because the rules and laws have been followed to the letter in the Giarratano case, Joe will be put to death.

A woman and her daughter did indeed die at the hands of someone. That person, or persons, should be punished. However, if Joe should be found innocent after he is executed, his death will be just as wrong as the deaths of the woman and her daughter. If Joe is wrongfully killed, someone is responsible.

Under these conditions - since all of the people involved in having this innocent man killed were, in essence, state employees - would the case be moved to another state? Or, since Giarratano's constitutional rights were violated, would the case be sent to the federal courts? I would like to have answers to these questions. I am sure there are students taking courses about how our governments operate would also like to know.

\ ISAAC L. JACOBS SR.\

COVINGTON

by CNB