Letters to the Editors

Sentence for Valessa Robinson is appalling

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 3, 2000

Re: Valessa Robinson's sentence.

I would like to begin by saying "thank you" for your fine coverage of the Valessa Robinson trial. However, I must say I was appalled by the sentencing of that evil girl. I can't believe that, in this day and age, a person who assists in killing her mother, stuffs her in a garbage can and leaves her in the woods in mid-summer, receives 20 years in prison.

What does that say about our judicial system? What does that say about the jurors in this case? What message does that send to the youth of today?

Those jurors must have been really "snowed." Did they ever stop to think that Valessa had options other than killing her mother? She is just as guilty, if not more so, than Adam Davis. He gets death, she gets 20 years, 15 of those for taking a life!

We are not talking about someone who had an awful life, who was abused by her parents, who had no one to turn to. We are talking about a spoiled little brat, who wanted her way and thought that killing her mom was a "cool idea." Let's remember Vicki Robinson was a mother who also loved a man, who also wanted a happy life, who wanted to help her daughter. I think the jury forgot about the person murdered and focused too much on the murderer.

I hope in the future that anyone selected to serve on a jury in a similar case will remember that just because you are 15 doesn't mean you are not accountable for your actions. A 20-year sentence is a slap in the face to Vicki Robinson's memory.
-- Kelly Grady, Clearwater

Judge did the best he could

I applaud the sentence Judge J. Rogers Padgett handed down in the Valessa Robinson case. Because of the third-degree murder verdict the jury voted on, which was utterly ridiculous, this obviously was the maximum the judge could do.

Her lawyer's dressing Valessa up like Miss Goody-Two-Shoes did not alter the fact that this monster aided and abetted in the brutal murder of her mother.

Orange is definitely her color. It's too bad she'll wear it for such a short time.
-- Fran Jesonis, Clearwater

Lynch mob atmosphere

Re: Punishment day, May 31.

Valessa Robinson deserved to be punished for her crimes. She did not deserve the lynch mob atmosphere the Times created.

If the members of the jury had wanted to send her to jail for 20 years, they would have convicted her of a more serious charge.
-- Jerry Prescott, Belleair Beach

A shameful outcome

What a travesty of trial and punishment was the Valessa Robinson case.

Both the judge and the jury should hang their heads in shame at the outcome of Valessa's trial: the judge for not letting all of the evidence in and the jury for not coming in with a more realistic verdict.

I would write more, but at this time I am so angry that I would be sued for something or other if I wrote what was on my mind.
-- Doug Orne, Dunedin

The reminders can now end

Thank goodness the Valessa Robinson trial is over and the sentence has been pronounced. Now, perhaps we can stop being reminded daily of the horrible crimes these three young savages committed.

I am sure the family of Vicki Robinson needs respite and a long, long time to heal. May God grant them this healing process.
-- Bill Hoelzle, Largo

Comparing sentences

Somehow I can't figure this out. Valessa Robinson helps to kill her own mother, and her sentence is only 20 years.

Then we have Michael Gisi. He had sex with a young girl. That certainly wasn't right (I have six daughters), but 71 years is way too much.

Someone needs to set these judges straight.
-- Raymond Haswell, St. Petersburg

Questionable justice

Valessa Robinson murders her mother, and only gets a 20-year prison term.

John Whispel gets 25 years, and he did not actually commit the murder.

Scores of rapists and murderers are walking our streets after serving only very short prison terms.

This tops them all: A young man meets an underage girl on the Internet, travels to meet her in person, has consensual sex and is sentenced to 71 years. Does he deserve 71 years compared to the other heinous crimes?

Our justice system needs immediate revamping.
-- L. Ware, Largo

Remember the good teens

Though Valessa Robinson was sentenced for a heinous crime, she is an anomaly. Only one example of the true nature of most teens can be found on page eight of your May 31 newspaper.

To honor a friend who died 12 years ago, 18-year-old David Glattstein endowed a scholarship with money he had earned himself. In my mind, he's more of an example of today's youth, though they usually get little notice in our media.

For too many people, Valessa, or those like her, has become the picture of our younger generation. That just isn't true. I know many wonderful, caring and upright youngsters. I'm sure others do, too.

My neighbor has worked with many refugee families whose children are productive, valued citizens. I've had the good fortune, as a public health nurse, to work with children and their mothers, many still teenagers. I've seen their remarkable accomplishments.

Those are the teens to remember, not those who make salacious headlines.
-- Lilyan "Vee" Dayton, New Port Richey

Don't let the air get worse

Re: Emissions testing.

It's too bad we are thinking of doing away with auto emissions testing because a politician experienced a delay and said that it wasn't fun. Who enjoys it? But we all benefit from the identifying of vehicles that are polluting the air and, as the May 26 paper states, those of us in Pinellas County have received a D for our bad air.

Let's rethink the decision to eliminate emission controls on autos before the drought sucks away all of our ability to reason.
-- James D. Hand, Seminole

Test all or none

Re: Air quality fuels drive to retain emissions tests, May 26.

I do not agree with this. Testing should be done statewide or not at all.
-- C.A. Shank Sr., Dunedin

The real Bill Maxwell?

When Bill Maxwell writes a good column, I believe he should be applauded. Such a column is his May 17 piece in which he states that even though blacks have been mistreated by the police, they should still cooperate with them "when they come for the bad guys destroying our community" ("Black" means tolerating criminality?)

He goes on to say that he agrees with the New York magazine writer who wrote, "The greatest threat to black life and limb is not the police; it's criminals in our community ... "

This erases a really bad column he wrote not too long ago in which he said he was afraid to visit New York City because of the terrible things the cops are doing to blacks (The dangers of love affair with NYC, March 29).

Hopefully, the May 17 column represents the real Bill Maxwell.
-- Marvin Katz, Oldsmar

Construction criticism undeserved

Re: Ybor City fire.

This is in response to the three May 24 letters that were critical of the construction methods employed on the Ybor apartment project. I would be willing to wager that none of these three "closet experts" ever saw this project up close or firsthand before it was reduced to a pile of ashes.

The craftsmanship and structural integrity of this project was impressive, to say the least. Load-bearing walls consisted of double 2-by studs, not 16 inches on center as is standard, but 12 inches on center. Thousands of metal straps were installed throughout the project to protect the buildings against hurricane-force winds. Upon completion the project would have had fire-rated drywall inside and fire-rated exterior veneer coverings. The entire area of all floors of all buildings were to be 100-percent covered by both fire alarms and fire sprinkler systems.

Wood-frame construction is not some radical new concept that developers have just come up with to cut corners and save money. Wood-frame construction has been the predominant means of residential construction throughout this great land of ours since this country was founded.

To say that there was a lack of "safety training, building code knowledge, pride and professionalism" on this project is a very uneducated opinion. All subcontractors are certified by the state of Florida as being knowledgeable and professional in their respective trades. The law requires it.

The fact of this tragedy is that it was an accident, plain and simple, which occurred at the project's most vulnerable stage of construction. Could this accident have been avoided? Probably so. With 20/20 hindsight, any accident could have been avoided.

I have absolutely nothing to do with the Ybor project other than knowing some of the people involved. I am also a state-certified general contractor who prefers to deal with facts, not conjecture.
-- Ed Craig, Clearwater

For the love of Charles Schulz

Re: A fitting tribute to Charles Schulz, May 27.

His peers could not have done it better! Not only are they awarding Schulz a well-deserved "Lifetime Achievement Award," although posthumously, the fact that all but two of the strips in the May 27 issue made reference to "Peanuts" personifies the deep love and affection we all have for him.

I'm sure other cartoonists throughout the country and the world have so honored Charles Schulz and the gang.
-- George P. Bunce, St. Petersburg

A wonderful tribute

It's Saturday, May 27, 6:30 a.m., and I've just finished reading the "funnies" in the St. Petersburg Times. Almost all of them gave a tribute to Charles Schulz with his Peanuts cartoon of Snoopy.

Absolutely wonderful!

My respect goes to all the other cartoonists who are honoring a fellow artist in their own cartoons. This page of "funnies" will be given to a Snoopy collector.

Thank you, St. Petersburg Times, for putting this special day of "funnies" together.
-- Joyce Ebersold, Pinellas Park

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