Gov David Patterson did a tremendous thing by commuting the sentence of John White, an African Americad dad, who was defending his home and his family aginast a White mob of teenages out to get his son. White shoud have neve been convicted in the shooting of white teen who had no business terroringm the White’s home in the dead of night. See prior post hereABC Local News reports that New York Governor David Paterson on Thursday commuted the sentence of a Long Island man convicted in a racially-charged shooting.
John White was found guilty of manslaughter in the 2006 shooting of 17-year-old Daniel Cicciaro, who was killed outside White's home in Miller Place.
He claimed Cicciaro threatened to attack his son.
A judge sentenced White to two to four years in prison, a fraction of the maximum. He finally went to prison in July this year after his appeals were rejected.
Paterson did not issue a pardon, but commuted White's sentence to time served.
"Our society strives to
be just, but the pursuit of justice is a difficult and arduous endeavor," Paterson said. "While the incident and Mr. White's trial engendered much controversy and comment, and varying assessments of justice were perceived, its most common feature was heartbreak. My decision today may be an affront to some and a joy to others, but my objective is only to seek to ameliorate the profound suffering that occurred as a result of this tragic event."
The commutation is conditioned upon White not engaging in subsequent violation of law.
The case began in 2006, when White's son Aaron woke him to say that Cicciaro and a gang of friends were heading to their home for a fight.
John White admitted to taking a gun and shooting Cicciaro in the face, but he said he did it out of fear it was a lynch mob attack.
More details here
Justice has been served!
