Salt Lake Telegram | 1932-04-13 | Page 4 | The Baumes Law

THE nAU BAUMES IES LA LAW LAWHE W THE HE state of New York has modified the Baumes law relating to habitual crimInals criminals crim crim- chiefly beca because se juries have been reluctant reluctant reluctant tant to convict when the verdict meant life lite imprisonment t. t The original Baumes Jaw law provided for Jor a alife alife alife life sentence for fourth offenders The idea back of it that it-that that a man who h had d been convIcted convicted convicted con con- of ofa a felony four times had become such sucha a hardened criminal that society ought to lock him up for keeps without bothering about trying to reform him him had had a certain amount of logic in it but butin in practice the law worked out very badly Juries hesitated to convict when the habItual habitual habitual ha ha- criminal provision was involved Woeful Woeful Woeful Woe Woe- ful cases of savage injustice carile came to light every so often It became clear that the law was doing more harm than good Now New Yorks York's fourth offenders will be eligible to parole at the end of 15 years The law is still severe but its severity is tempered both with a degree of mercy merey and with common common common com com- mon sense