Letter: Bell’s energy is misdirected

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2000 | 9:46 a.m.

With thousands of prostitution cases a year compelled to go to trial, we'll now have to pay all the overtime for judges, prosecutors, police officers and clerical staffs, as well as the tremendous costs associated with housing and feeding these inmates for six months at a clip -- and that's after settling the lawsuits now being filed by dancers thrown out of work by the original policy.

Usually, municipalities deal with packed jails and clogged legal systems by cutting deals. But, according to Mr. Bell, there won't be any deals for women arrested for sex-related crimes.

So, that means plea bargains will have to be made with those arrested for other crimes -- crimes such as murder, rape and child abuse. Plea bargaining with these criminals will become increasingly tempting to overwrought prosecutors. Great idea! Let's use our limited tax dollars to pay police to drag prostitutes out of strip clubs and casinos and let's get them into the courts and jails where we can spend even more money prosecuting and housing them!

Instead of launching a crusade (that, incidentally, seems strangely tailored to the needs of a casino industry long frustrated with strip clubs and prostitutes), perhaps the district attorney should have given more consideration to the heavy burden now placed on the citizens of this valley.

ANDREA L. HACKETT

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