THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 12, 1995 TAG: 9503100024
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
It seems rare these days to read of a criminal who takes responsibility for his crimes.
Most modern crimes would appear to be unfortunate occurrences that, well, just happened, you know. Things got kind of out of hand. The gun went off. Then it went off again. The guy wouldn't turn over the money. The gun went off again. Didn't mean to kill anyone.
Now comes a criminal with reason to be bitter who takes personal responsibility for the mess he's in.
James Michael Wear was 17 when he drove the getaway car for three friends after they robbed a Virginia Beach motel and murdered the 28-year-old night clerk.
After pleading guilty to first-degree murder and robbery, Wear was sentenced to 27 years in prison. Last week, having been a model prisoner for four years, he was released on parole, at age 22, under a Home Electronic Monitoring Program. The next day, he was returned to jail because the Virginia Parole Board hadn't given the victim's family a chance to oppose his release.
Wear's return to prison might have been illegal, since he never violated the provisions of his parole. Lawyers will argue both sides. Time will tell.
Meanwhile he told staff writer Laura LaFay, ``The way I look at it is, I have no control over the situation. I exposed myself to all this five years ago when I committed the crime. . . . They sentenced me to the State Penitentiary to try and rehabilitate myself and I did everything I could to do that. I don't want to go back, but there's nothing I can do.''
His full acceptance of responsibility contrasts starkly with remarks by Arnold O. Peterson, an alcoholic whose van ran a red light in downtown Norfolk and crashed into a BMW, killing a man and a woman.
``If we had only stayed on the interstate. I was going to go through the tunnel to my mother's house. The Portsmouth police could have arrested me there. That would have been fine. But I don't trust the Virginia Beach police. That's why I ran.''
The problem, don't you see, was that police insisted on arresting him where they wanted to arrest him.
Peterson also said, ``I consider myself a good driver.'' Apparently he was, sober.
This message seems so simple: We're responsible for what we do.
It's a hard message to get across to young people - one many adults never take to heart. by CNB