krkrjx
The answer is blowin' in the wind.
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Misty’s drug arrest and sentencing was high-profile but only because of her involvement in the Haleigh investigation. When a situation is high-profile, the courts and prosecutors know everyone is watching; thus, things are likely to go differently than for similar situations that are not high-profile.
I do not like Misty or Tommy. I see them as non-productive menaces and I believe they could have been involved in some very dangerous activities. I was relieved to see both arrested and slapped with bond amounts far beyond their reach. I wanted answers for Haleigh and I believed the only way I would get those would be if Misty got herself into a situation where she had no choice but to tell what she knew.
As time passed with Misty behind bars on high bond and the only things coming out of her mouth being more lies, I had to do accept that Misty either does not know what happened or she knows and is never going to be honest about what happened. Apparently LE and prosecutors in Putnam County have reason to believe that Misty had never been forthcoming and continues to this day to withhold information about what happened on February 9, 2009. Also of importance, IMO and apparently in LE’s opinion as well, are events in days and perhaps weeks prior to February 9, 2009.
Misty is now in prison for at least 25 years, and we are still no closer to the truth. This leads some to believe that Misty is responsible for Haleigh’s demise—she will never tell the truth because it will hurt her more than help her. Others maintain that Misty has no details to give—that she was either not present when Haleigh met her fate or was sleeping as she initially claimed.
My current position is that Misty has and always has had information that might have helped LE find Haleigh or at least find out what happened to her. However, I will put the Haleigh investigation aside for a bit to focus only on Misty’s drug convictions.
Misty pleaded “no contest” to all her charges. This means she chose not to argue the charges and to take whatever penalty the law allowed for each charge. Misty’s no contest pleas are the reason she is in prison for 25 years—with more time likely to be added at her upcoming sentencing on the remaining charges. I do not have a problem with the court imposing the mandatory minimum sentence on Misty for each and every charge that she has been convicted of by way of her “no contest” pleas. I believe had Misty gone to trial she would have been found guilty and sentenced to the same amount of time. However, while a trial itself might not have saved Misty from harsh sentences, a plea deal could have, and had Misty held out for trial she might have forced prosecutors into considering a plea deal.
Prosecutors offer plea deals all the time. They know that they can never be certain of which way a jury will go—for prosecutors, a plea deal is a sure thing while a jury trial is not. Sometimes a plea deal is for valuable information on other more serious crimes, but more often a plea deal is to get a conviction without the time and expense of going to trial. When Misty pleaded “no contest” without a plea deal, she in essence gave the prosecutor what they wanted without their having to fight for it.
RC and DB got plea deals of charges dropped or reduced. RC and DB did not enter their pleas until they had deals on the table. They are each doing time, but far less than they would be without those deals. HS did not get a deal for her “no contest” plea but that it is because she pleaded without a deal on the table—had Hope held out, she might have had her charge reduced to one with a three-year mandatory sentence rather than the 15 years she got. (And for all who are not yet aware, Hope’s appeal was denied by the appellate court by order issued 12/14/10.)
Have Misty and Tommy’s rights been violated? Both pled no contest without a plea deal and as a result, both were sentenced as charged. Misty got the minimum mandatory for her charge so it is difficult to say her rights were violated. Misty erred in not holding out for a deal prior to pleading. Her attorney could have made an exhaustive effort to convince Misty not to plead without a deal, IMO, but in the end the decision to plead without a deal was Misty’s. Same goes for Tommy, although I believe Tommy got a raw deal from the court. His charge carried a three-year mandatory sentence, yet he was sentenced to 15 years! The one thing Tommy has going for him is his 15 years is not mandatory—after serving the mandatory portion of that sentence (3 years) Tommy will be eligible for early release consideration under the Florida 85% law.
I do not know Tommy’s full criminal history as he has moved from state to state over time; for all I know he has an extensive history that came into play in Putnam County court but with information available to me on Tommy, my opinion is that his past does not add up to a sentence three times what the Florida trafficking law mandates for his charge. But again, Tommy took a risk when he pleaded no contest without a plea deal. No doubt Tommy believed he would get no more than the minimum sentence allowed by law which for his charge that was only three years. However, I believe a jury might have opted for the minimum sentence for Tommy so, IMO, he had nothing to lose by taking his case to trial. Tommy’s mistake was trusting the courts to treat him the same way they were treating the others—minimum mandatory sentences for all.
When a serious crime goes unpunished due to lack of sufficient evidence, it is not uncommon for a suspected perp to be treated harshly when sentenced on other crimes. It happened to OJ. This suffices as justice, and many citizens are okay with it because it’s better than the perp running free to live their life while their victims are forgotten.
If LE and prosecutors in Putnam County believe Tommy is the perp, and think 15 years is justice for Haleigh, they’ve got another think coming, IMO. If Tommy harmed Haleigh, I want him out of circulation for a lot longer than 15 years!
If it is Misty that LE suspects in Haleigh’s demise, then I say kudos to LE and prosecutors for avenging Haleigh by way of her extremely harsh drug sentences. However, I want to see what investigators have that convinces them of Misty’s guilt. Misty is a liar, and has probably been a liar all her life, but she is innocent of Haleigh’s demise until such time as the evidence proves otherwise.
As much as I cannot stand Misty Croslin—and as much as my heart aches for little Haleigh—to lock Misty in prison for what essentially amounts to a life sentence for telling lies is just plain wrong on too many levels. Misty should have been given reduced charges in exchange for her Nolo Contendere pleas; this is a common practice for prosecutors nationwide. If the prosecutor has evidence that Misty harmed Haleigh or that she allowed someone to harm Haleigh, he should prosecute her for that crime. If not, Misty should be given the same consideration as others who come through the court—no more and no less.
JMO
I do not like Misty or Tommy. I see them as non-productive menaces and I believe they could have been involved in some very dangerous activities. I was relieved to see both arrested and slapped with bond amounts far beyond their reach. I wanted answers for Haleigh and I believed the only way I would get those would be if Misty got herself into a situation where she had no choice but to tell what she knew.
As time passed with Misty behind bars on high bond and the only things coming out of her mouth being more lies, I had to do accept that Misty either does not know what happened or she knows and is never going to be honest about what happened. Apparently LE and prosecutors in Putnam County have reason to believe that Misty had never been forthcoming and continues to this day to withhold information about what happened on February 9, 2009. Also of importance, IMO and apparently in LE’s opinion as well, are events in days and perhaps weeks prior to February 9, 2009.
Misty is now in prison for at least 25 years, and we are still no closer to the truth. This leads some to believe that Misty is responsible for Haleigh’s demise—she will never tell the truth because it will hurt her more than help her. Others maintain that Misty has no details to give—that she was either not present when Haleigh met her fate or was sleeping as she initially claimed.
My current position is that Misty has and always has had information that might have helped LE find Haleigh or at least find out what happened to her. However, I will put the Haleigh investigation aside for a bit to focus only on Misty’s drug convictions.
Misty pleaded “no contest” to all her charges. This means she chose not to argue the charges and to take whatever penalty the law allowed for each charge. Misty’s no contest pleas are the reason she is in prison for 25 years—with more time likely to be added at her upcoming sentencing on the remaining charges. I do not have a problem with the court imposing the mandatory minimum sentence on Misty for each and every charge that she has been convicted of by way of her “no contest” pleas. I believe had Misty gone to trial she would have been found guilty and sentenced to the same amount of time. However, while a trial itself might not have saved Misty from harsh sentences, a plea deal could have, and had Misty held out for trial she might have forced prosecutors into considering a plea deal.
Prosecutors offer plea deals all the time. They know that they can never be certain of which way a jury will go—for prosecutors, a plea deal is a sure thing while a jury trial is not. Sometimes a plea deal is for valuable information on other more serious crimes, but more often a plea deal is to get a conviction without the time and expense of going to trial. When Misty pleaded “no contest” without a plea deal, she in essence gave the prosecutor what they wanted without their having to fight for it.
RC and DB got plea deals of charges dropped or reduced. RC and DB did not enter their pleas until they had deals on the table. They are each doing time, but far less than they would be without those deals. HS did not get a deal for her “no contest” plea but that it is because she pleaded without a deal on the table—had Hope held out, she might have had her charge reduced to one with a three-year mandatory sentence rather than the 15 years she got. (And for all who are not yet aware, Hope’s appeal was denied by the appellate court by order issued 12/14/10.)
Have Misty and Tommy’s rights been violated? Both pled no contest without a plea deal and as a result, both were sentenced as charged. Misty got the minimum mandatory for her charge so it is difficult to say her rights were violated. Misty erred in not holding out for a deal prior to pleading. Her attorney could have made an exhaustive effort to convince Misty not to plead without a deal, IMO, but in the end the decision to plead without a deal was Misty’s. Same goes for Tommy, although I believe Tommy got a raw deal from the court. His charge carried a three-year mandatory sentence, yet he was sentenced to 15 years! The one thing Tommy has going for him is his 15 years is not mandatory—after serving the mandatory portion of that sentence (3 years) Tommy will be eligible for early release consideration under the Florida 85% law.
I do not know Tommy’s full criminal history as he has moved from state to state over time; for all I know he has an extensive history that came into play in Putnam County court but with information available to me on Tommy, my opinion is that his past does not add up to a sentence three times what the Florida trafficking law mandates for his charge. But again, Tommy took a risk when he pleaded no contest without a plea deal. No doubt Tommy believed he would get no more than the minimum sentence allowed by law which for his charge that was only three years. However, I believe a jury might have opted for the minimum sentence for Tommy so, IMO, he had nothing to lose by taking his case to trial. Tommy’s mistake was trusting the courts to treat him the same way they were treating the others—minimum mandatory sentences for all.
When a serious crime goes unpunished due to lack of sufficient evidence, it is not uncommon for a suspected perp to be treated harshly when sentenced on other crimes. It happened to OJ. This suffices as justice, and many citizens are okay with it because it’s better than the perp running free to live their life while their victims are forgotten.
If LE and prosecutors in Putnam County believe Tommy is the perp, and think 15 years is justice for Haleigh, they’ve got another think coming, IMO. If Tommy harmed Haleigh, I want him out of circulation for a lot longer than 15 years!
If it is Misty that LE suspects in Haleigh’s demise, then I say kudos to LE and prosecutors for avenging Haleigh by way of her extremely harsh drug sentences. However, I want to see what investigators have that convinces them of Misty’s guilt. Misty is a liar, and has probably been a liar all her life, but she is innocent of Haleigh’s demise until such time as the evidence proves otherwise.
As much as I cannot stand Misty Croslin—and as much as my heart aches for little Haleigh—to lock Misty in prison for what essentially amounts to a life sentence for telling lies is just plain wrong on too many levels. Misty should have been given reduced charges in exchange for her Nolo Contendere pleas; this is a common practice for prosecutors nationwide. If the prosecutor has evidence that Misty harmed Haleigh or that she allowed someone to harm Haleigh, he should prosecute her for that crime. If not, Misty should be given the same consideration as others who come through the court—no more and no less.
JMO
