Deval Patrick in The New Republic


On Crime: Wrote letters to parole board for convicted rapist

Patrick had written two letters to the Massachusetts parole board seeking the release of Benjamin LaGuer, a convicted rapist serving a life sentence. The Globe subsequently reported that Patrick had helped pay for DNA tests LaGuer claimed would exonerate him (they didn't). "I have never met Mr. LaGuer in person," Patrick wrote in one letter. "But, thanks to a lively exchange of correspondence over the years, I do feel I know him."
Source: The New Republic on 2020 presidential hopefuls Nov 6, 2006

On Crime: I don't need to be lectured about crime

Patrick did something that Democrats branded as "soft on crime" seldom do: He faced the attacks head-on. "I'm the only one in this race who's actually ever sent anyone to prison," he practically shouted. "Let's talk about crime," he continued. "I've been a victim of crime. You can't grow up in a place like the South Side of Chicago without understanding the impact--on families, on communities--of crime. I don't need to be lectured to about crime."
Source: The New Republic on 2020 presidential hopefuls Nov 6, 2006

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