[2dogs]

http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.ssf?/base/news-0/106404700368240.xml


Judge takes aim at guns


Saturday, September 20, 2003


By LINDA STEIN


A Mercer County superior court judge took aim at the National Rifle Association yesterday and a culture that leads young men to think it's hip to carry guns.

While sentencing a 22-year-old man to 15 years in prison for manslaughter, Judge Bill Mathesius said what he perceives as the driving logic of the NRA is "as stupid and as ignorant as people can be."

Rayshaun Marshall of Trenton admitted he gunned down his friend Marvin "Mar Mar" Hodges, 18, during an argument on Martin Luther King Boulevard April 18, 2001.



During Marshall's sentencing, Mathesius said, "If you've got a gun, your options are to kill or be killed, to be shot by the cops, (or to) shoot a cop."

He added that if a gun goes off, somebody could end up dead, wounded, incapacitated or paralyzed.

"And the NRA says, well, everybody should have guns and all that stuff," said Mathesius. "It's as stupid and as ignorant as people can be."

Mathesius previously videotaped another young defendant's warning against carrying guns so that it can be played for students at Trenton Central High School.

Nakia Reid, 23, of Sanford Street, who handed Marshall the gun, was sentenced yesterday to five years on probation. Reid had agreed to testify against Marshall if the case went to trial.

If someone gets into a fight and has a gun "someone is dead, it's just that simple and stupid and inevitable," Mathesius said.

"For the underclass in Trenton to get a gun and be cool and be tough and show everybody and then eventually kill somebody or get killed, it's a stupid situation."

Marshall apologized to Hodges' family, saying, "There was a fight. I pulled the trigger. I never meant to kill him."

The grandmothers who raised Marshall and Hodges also spoke.

"I miss my grandson, I really do," said Gloria Hicks, 54, who raised Hodges. "I'm glad it's over and that (Marshall) didn't walk away without being punished. Maybe my grandson will rest in peace now."

Said Marion Lewis, the defendant's grandmother: "I raised Rayshaun since he was 2. I had to take care of six grandchildren by myself. I tried to give all I could."

Eight other cases pending against Marshall were dismissed in return for his guilty plea, said Assistant Prosecutor Sean McMurtry.

Marshall also was sentenced to concurrent terms of four years for drug possession and 18 months for aggravated assault in unrelated incidents.

He must serve almost 13 years before he is eligible for release followed by five years parole, Mathesius said.

Attempts to reach a representative of the NRA yesterday were unsuccessful. A receptionist at the association's Fairfax, Va., headquarters said last night that offices there had been closed much of the day because of Hurricane Isabel.

[Devonai]

"And the NRA says, well, everybody should have guns and all that stuff," said Mathesius. "It's as stupid and as ignorant as people can be."

Assuming that the NRA wants absolutely everybody, regardless of age or criminal status, to have a firearm is, well, stupid and ignorant.

Anyway, did this judge say anything really noteworthy? I didn't read anything worth noting. It's disgusting that the media will devote an entire article to a very casual comment without any worthwhile substance or argumentative value.

[greyhound]

"For the underclass in Trenton to get a gun and be cool and be tough and show everybody and then eventually kill somebody or get killed, it's a stupid situation."

I think that sounds bigoted. Especially the word "underclass". Where does he get off making judgments like that?

Marshall apologized to Hodges' family, saying, "There was a fight. I pulled the trigger. I never meant to kill him."

So, you were trying to "wing" him, eh?


Thoroughly depressing article all around.:(

[cracked butt]

Wow! Liberal judges barely need to have a good understanding and or usage of the English language anymore.

"If you've got a gun, your options are to kill or be killed, to be shot by the cops, (or to) shoot a cop."

"And the NRA says, well, everybody should have guns and all that stuff," said Mathesius
If I wrote a sentence like that in fifth grade, the teacher would have knocked me down by one letter grade.

I guess you have the right to say anything you want in America no matter how ignorant,as long as you are a liberal looking out for the 'good' of society :barf:

[dinosaur]

So Rayshaun and Mar Mar are (were) NRA members? Life, Endowment, what? :barf:

Fox`s Judge Andrew Napolitano was a judge in N.J I think. Weird place.

[Leatherneck]

All that's been said above I agree with. This ignorant bigot has no business sitting in judgement of anyone else, and should be impeached and/or sued for defamation.

TC
TFL Survivor

[Master Blaster]

Marshall also was sentenced to concurrent terms of four years for drug possession and 18 months for aggravated assault in unrelated incidents. He must serve almost 13 years before he is eligible for release followed by five years parole, Mathesius said.


There is the real ignorant idiot the judge, 13 years for murder, drug dealing assault with a deadly weapon, this poor young man (dangerous predator, created by the liberal nanny state) is already a career criminal, I wonder if he murdered anyone else before this and how many times he was arrested for violenty felonies in the past as a juvenile?

13 whole years, I'm sure the first thing he will do when he gets out is get a gun on the street and rob assault and murder someone else.

Obviously drugs and crime are the NRAs fault, surely not the fault of this poor young man, or the enlightened judge who gives murderers a slap on the wrist and lets them out to murder again.

I would love to know how many folks this judge put out on the street who went on to murder and rape again. Thats the real menace to society.