Mexican Sovereignty Distorts U.S. Justice
Re “ ‘Tough on Crime’ May Backfire,” by Jonathan Miller, Commentary, Nov. 17: A murder is committed in California and the murderer, a U.S. citizen, flees to Mexico.
Once across the border, the Mexican legal system shields the murderer from punishment by refusing to return the fugitive to California unless the lenient Mexican law for punishment of the murder is followed.
Only a law school professor such as Miller could argue from these facts that California is responsible for the murderer remaining free by refusing to acquiesce to the demands of Mexico.
California is legally, morally and ethically correct in insisting that U.S. citizens who kill others in California be judged and punished by California law. It is Mexico that has violated the sovereignty of another by demanding it dictate the sentence for U.S. citizens who commit murder in the United States. Mexico is free to embrace murderers from another country, but neither Mexico nor its apologists should be allowed to clothe such actions as being the rightful or moral exercise of sovereignty.
Douglas Rose
Deputy District Attorney
San Diego County
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