Former Harvard student Alexander Pring-Wilson will not have an easy 6-8 years, that being the state prison sentence he just got for the manslaughter of a thug who attacked him in Cambridge one night. At least his life isn't over. It is possible to survive prison and resume a life, particularly if you're not actually a criminal.
What's the lesson here? I don't know. Stay the hell out of Cambridge, where they embrace their criminals as victims.
What do you do if you're attacked in Cambridge? Roll over and pray. Whatever you do, don't fight back. Especially not if you're white and your attackers are minorities.
His defense attorney pleaded for leniency with this, in part:
"This isn't about race, or class or privilege or wealth. ... What it's about is what happened on that street between three people."
She's wrong, of course, and she knew it, which is why she had to say it - this was exactly about race and class. Had it been about the facts, the dead guy would be dead, his complicit convict cousin would be in prison, and Pring-Wilson would be studying at Harvard.
Outrageous verdict. There is no way Wilson had a chance
of getting off for fear of an "uprising".
The fix was in that he was going to get 5,6 or 7 years.
The Globe's opinion pieces today are equally outrageous.
Assuming it is a suspicious to carry a knife in the
first place.
Posted by: J.H. | October 15, 2004 at 12:30 PM
this was so wrong, but your D.A. will be stepping up to John Kerry's seat if Elected. We are asking everyone interested to demand that Alex is protected in custody. They have assigned him to a Prison ran by the Latin Kings of which the Colono and his cousin were members. We in Colorado will hold the Common Wealth responsible for his safety God Bless this young man and consider the fact that in this country you are NO longer to use the Self-Defense rights granted to you as an individual
Posted by: Angie Seymour | October 16, 2004 at 01:08 PM
You guys are all idiots, Pring wilson deserved everything he got, and i am sure that he will become someone's bitch in prison. remember he will probably go to HELL becuase he killed someone. i hope he does anyways.
Posted by: MA Resident | October 18, 2004 at 02:00 PM
I live no where near MA and have been following this trial. If I were on that jury, there would have been a hung jury, as in no way, shape or form do I believe this was not self defense. Yes he stabbed, yes he killed, but I do not believe it was "voluntary" and I do not believe the jury took all the evidence into consideration. How about the phone call to his girlfriend in Colorado ending in "Hey, wait..." or something to that effect. Obviously many of you have never been in a fight situation, especially 2-against-1. Those who have, as well as women in an abusive home, all understand what it means to fight for your life. And to those ignorant enough to wish him harm in jail are as ignorant as that jury who convicted and the judge who sentenced. Shame on you...and I hope you end up in the same situation at some point in your hateful, miserable existance.
Posted by: Deborah Concord | October 18, 2004 at 06:03 PM
Well said, Deborah.
Posted by: JT | October 19, 2004 at 10:18 AM
I think that this trial was an outrage! I'm a hispanic from the "wrong side of the tracks" and I believe that Colono deserved what he got. Rodriguez should be in jail for involuntary manslaughter, and Pring-Wilson should be a free man! The class structure should not come into play here. The respective families of Rodriguez and Colono knew that Rodriguez was violent, and that Colono was involved in drugs. They grilled Alex for drinking, and everyone seemed to forget that Sammy and Michael had been drinking, too!
I think that it's outrageous that they put him in a maximum-security prison with convicted murderers! If they let him off on bail because they didn't think that he was a risk, they should have at least granted him a minimum-security prison with less violent offenders. He doesn't deserve to be in there. I would gladly sign any petition and do anything in my power to help the Pring-Wilson case.
I hope that Pring-Wilson is granted an appeal and a jury that will debate the entire spectrum of the evidence will grant him what he should have gotten in the first place: his life back.
Posted by: Jeri H | October 19, 2004 at 04:16 PM
Here's a petition I've come across for APW. Please sign it and encourage others to do the same.
Posted by: Jeri H | October 20, 2004 at 09:06 PM