[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 61 (Monday, May 7, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4445-S4446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    THE RELEASE OF VIOLENT OFFENDERS

  Mr. DORGAN. Madam President, I have come to the floor repeatedly in 
recent years on the issue of violent offenders being released from 
prison early and in behalf of the people they have murdered while they 
have been on early release from incarceration for previous violent 
crimes.
  I noticed in the last couple of days, once again we had a case--I 
wanted to certainly give the judges here their due--the case of a 
fellow named Robert Lee Dyer, reported in the papers. He is from 
Suitland, MD, arrested almost a year ago, charged with being a 
principal in the first degree in the shooting death of a man trying to 
withdraw money from an ATM machine. He was arrested with Antwon Reid, 
who was charged with murder in the first. Reid plead guilty, and is now 
serving a life sentence. Mr. Dyer had two bond hearings to determine 
whether he would be released on bond. The first hearing was before 
Judge Patrice Lewis. She gave the defense attorney the authority to set 
up a property bond and come back in 1 week to see if it would be 
allowed.
  At the second bond hearing, Judge Thurmond Rhodes set the bond of 
$75,000. Mr. Robert Lee Dyer was released. So for $75,000, this fellow, 
who had been involved in a murder crime, allegedly, was released.
  The State's attorney vehemently opposed releasing him on bond. But 
Judge Thurman Rhodes nonetheless released him. The trial for that was 
scheduled to begin May 21 of this year. On May 2 of this year, this Mr. 
Dyer was arrested for killing Jamel Stephon Zimmerman. Dyer was the 
alleged shooter. It is said that there is a very strong case against 
him. A new bond hearing was scheduled for today at 1:15 in front of 
Judge Robert Heffron.
  There is something fundamentally wrong when time after time after 
time people are either released from prison or, in this case, released 
on bond when we know they are violent. And yet they are released back 
to the streets to kill again.
  I have spoken at great length about the case of Bettina Pruckmayer--
and six or eight other cases--a young woman aspiring to begin a new 
life in Washington, DC; a young attorney, public spirited, working for 
a nonprofit organization, who pulls up to an ATM machine only to meet 
Leon Gonzalez Wright to be stabbed over 30 times and killed. Leon 
Gonzalez Wright had committed murder before, was let out early, picked 
up for hard drugs while he was let out on probation, and nobody puts 
him back in jail. Instead, he was walking the streets to kill Bettina 
Pruckmayer.
  That and six or eight other cases I have described is going on all 
across this country. It is good time for good behavior, and release 
them early. In this case, don't keep them in jail. Let them post 
$75,000 where they are on America's streets, and the result is innocent 
men and women are being murdered.
  There is something wrong with the criminal justice system. I think 
what we ought to do is describe the differences that exist between 
those who commit violent crimes and those who commit nonviolent crimes. 
We ought to have people in this country understand that if they commit 
a violent crime, they are not going to have good time for good 
behavior. Whatever the judge says, their sentence is going to be that 
the jail cell number is going to be their address until the end of 
their sentence, and no good time off for good behavior.
  The average sentence served for murder in this country is just over 8 
years. The fact is, people are released early for a range of reasons. 
We know they are violent and they are back on America's streets.
  A young woman from my State of North Dakota, who I have spoken about 
previously, was driving along a quiet road, Highway 2, from Williston, 
ND, to Minot, ND, one afternoon after attending a League of Cities 
meeting in Williston. She stopped at a rest stop, and she was unlucky 
enough that afternoon to be confronted at the rest stop by a violent 
felon from the State of Washington. He had been let out early and 
should have been in jail. But he wasn't. He slashed her throat. And 
while she lay there bleeding, people thought she would die. Someone 
came along that road that day, and it turned out they had a cell phone. 
The woman in the car knew something about nursing and she saved Julie's 
life.
  The fact is, that young woman, while her life was saved, is now going 
through years and years of therapy to be able to talk normally once 
again. Her throat was slashed very badly when she was assaulted by this 
felon. He was chased by the police and he committed suicide some miles 
down the road. But he should not have been on the roads and highways 
and should not have been threatening Julie Schultz. Yet he was.
  It is true of Mr. Robert Lee Dyer, except that if Judge Thurman 
Rhodes had not let him out on bail he would have been incarcerated. 
Instead, Jamel Stephon Zimmerman is now dead.
  I hope this criminal justice system, judges, prosecutors, and I hope 
finally this Senate and the House will find a way to pass legislation 
saying we are going to distinguish between those who commit nonviolent 
crimes and those who commit violent crimes.
  Everyone should understand this. Commit a violent crime, and you are 
going to spend your time in jail until the end of your term. You are 
not going to be released early to commit another violent crime against 
an innocent bystander.

[[Page S4446]]

  Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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