California man who held 26 kids, bus driver captive in underground trailer gets parole

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**Frazzled**

Smooth move there Governor Moonbeam. I remember this when it occurred. Crazy
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/calif-man-held-26-kids-bus-driver-captive-parole-article-1.2310313

California man who held 26 kids, bus driver captive in underground trailer gets parole
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Friday, July 31, 2015, 12:40 AM
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The governor of California on Thursday allowed parole for one of three men convicted in the 1976 kidnapping of 26 children and their school bus driver who were held captive in a buried trailer.

Gov. Jerry Brown had until midnight Thursday to decide whether to approve parole for 63-year-old James Schoenfeld or send the case back to the board that recommended his release. The governor chose not to act, which allowed the parole board's decision to stand.

Schoenfeld, his brother, Richard, and a friend, Fred Woods — all from wealthy families in the San Francisco Bay Area — were convicted in 1976.

The men spent 18 months devising the plot and planned to ask for a $5 million ransom for the children, who ranged in age from 5 to 14.

The hostages were taken from Chowchilla to a quarry near Livermore and kept inside the ventilated trailer stocked with mattresses, food and water.

The scheme unraveled when the Dairyland Union School District students and bus driver Ed Ray escaped while the kidnappers took a nap.

The three men were given life sentences after pleading guilty to kidnapping charges. An appeals court later reduced their sentences to life with the possibility of parole.

James Schoenfeld is serving his sentence at California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo. Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokesman Luis Patino says once the prison is notified of the decision, it will have five days to schedule Schoenfeld's release.

His brother, Richard Schoenfeld, was paroled in 2012. Woods could have a parole hearing this fall.

**Mr. Burning**

Blame the appeals court ruling and not the Gov.

Guy served his mandated sentence and is due the chance of parole. Providing he passes the board all the boxes are ticked.

**Frazzled**

Mr. Burning wrote:
Blame the appeals court ruling and not the Gov.

Guy served his mandated sentence and is due the chance of parole. Providing he passes the board all the boxes are ticked.

SO fething WHAT? The Governor had absolute discretion.

**Mr. Burning**

Frazzled wrote:
Mr. Burning wrote:
Blame the appeals court ruling and not the Gov.

Guy served his mandated sentence and is due the chance of parole. Providing he passes the board all the boxes are ticked.

SO fething WHAT? The Governor had absolute discretion.

So what.

Obviously decided the guy had served his time. The Governor, as is their right in theie role, didn't excise the veto or whatever it is the position allows.

The Parole board now has discretion do they not or is it automatic they will grant parole?

Re-read article - Parole board decided the guy is okay for release. Gov does nothing, the system works.

**Frazzled**

The system didn't work.

Someone kidnapped nearly 30 people STUFFED THEM IN A BURIED BUS and kept them prisoner.

Do gooder leftie bs.

**streamdragon**

And the guys, who didn't physically harm anyone, did their time. I'm not seeing the issue.

**Ahtman**

streamdragon wrote:
And the guys, who didn't physically harm anyone, did their time. I'm not seeing the issue.

Only someone who hates America would be so soft on crime. You must be angry about crime and criminals all the time and want infinite sentences for the evildoers! PUNISHMENT ALL THE TIME *begins to foam at the mouth in anger*

*passes out*

**Frazzled**

Ahtman wrote:
streamdragon wrote:
And the guys, who didn't physically harm anyone, did their time. I'm not seeing the issue.

Only someone who hates America would be so soft on crime. You must be angry about crime and criminals all the time and want infinite sentences for the evildoers! PUNISHMENT ALL THE TIME *begins to foam at the mouth in anger*

*passes out*

You forgot the tremors part when the foaming starts. Wussy.

**zedmeister**

Frazzled wrote:
Ahtman wrote:
streamdragon wrote:
And the guys, who didn't physically harm anyone, did their time. I'm not seeing the issue.

Only someone who hates America would be so soft on crime. You must be angry about crime and criminals all the time and want infinite sentences for the evildoers! PUNISHMENT ALL THE TIME *begins to foam at the mouth in anger*

*passes out*

You forgot the tremors part when the foaming starts. Wussy.

Better grab your bible and your gun when you wake up.

Just in case...

**Frazzled**

Being Texan means I'm always close to Jesus.

(he lives across the street with his wife and three kids).

**Orlanth**

A fair enough time served. That was 1976, its a long long time to be inside. His crime was horrific but he is an old man now, and AFAIK didnt actually kill anyone, or intend to. He was a kidnapper not a murderer, and not a competent one at that.

There are people who murder and get less, far less in the UK. Sometimes murder means nine years actual sentence.

I have no problem with this outcome.

**ScootyPuffJunior**

The dude is an asshat but he paid his debt to society.

It's not like his life outside of prison is going to be all that great anyway.

**Hordini**

I remember seeing a Walker, Texas Ranger episode where this happened when I was a kid. I didn't realize it was based on a true story.

**Frazzled**

Orlanth wrote:
A fair enough time served. That was 1976, its a long long time to be inside. His crime was horrific but he is an old man now, and AFAIK didnt actually kill anyone, or intend to. He was a kidnapper not a murderer, and not a competent one at that.

There are people who murder and get less, far less in the UK. Sometimes murder means nine years actual sentence.

I have no problem with this outcome.

There was no intent to get them out. There ws a 100 lb cover on top the air vent. Their food consisted of a few bags of chips.

he should have been hanged.

**Vaktathi**

Guy served his time and is eligible for parole, for a crime nearly 40 years old, and a dude having spent the majority of his life (and best years) in prison. I don't see where there's an issue with Moonbeam here failing to go out of his way to keep him in prison if there's no overriding public safety issue.

**Dreadwinter**

Seems like the system worked. Nothing to see here guys. Justice has been served.

**TheCustomLime**

If he was a deranged lunatic that kept the kids and the driver locked up for months in a torture chamber or something I would side with Frazzle here. However, he just seems like a dumb criminal who wanted to get some money. No one was hurt and he served over 35 years in prison. I don't see anything wrong with giving him parole.

**Orlanth**

Frazzled wrote:
Orlanth wrote:
A fair enough time served. That was 1976, its a long long time to be inside. His crime was horrific but he is an old man now, and AFAIK didnt actually kill anyone, or intend to. He was a kidnapper not a murderer, and not a competent one at that.

There are people who murder and get less, far less in the UK. Sometimes murder means nine years actual sentence.

I have no problem with this outcome.

There was no intent to get them out. There ws a 100 lb cover on top the air vent. Their food consisted of a few bags of chips.

he should have been hanged.

Trial judge thought otherwise. The plan was to extort money, usually if you pay up the location is given.
If those close to the evidence though a life sentence with parole was appropriate then 40 years is fair time served.
He should now be able to go free. Frankly because noone was killed 30 years should have been enough actual time served.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

TheCustomLime wrote:
If he was a deranged lunatic that kept the kids and the driver locked up for months in a torture chamber or something I would side with Frazzle here. However, he just seems like a dumb criminal who wanted to get some money. No one was hurt and he served over 35 years in prison. I don't see anything wrong with giving him parole.

Definitely this is no Josef Fritzl. If he were the death penalty might not be enough.

**NuggzTheNinja**

Surprised by the lack of faith in the legal system coming from the Dakka law professionals...

**hotsauceman1**

Why dont we wait to see if he actually gets paroled.

**Frazzled**

NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Surprised by the lack of faith in the legal system coming from the Dakka law professionals...

Why?

**NuggzTheNinja**

Frazzled wrote:
NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Surprised by the lack of faith in the legal system coming from the Dakka law professionals...

Why?

If you base your livelihood on understanding the tenets of a specific system of rules, then it would stand to reason that you put some stock in the social utility and validity of those rules no?

Maybe it's not at all uncommon, but it's surprising to me.

**Frazzled**

NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Surprised by the lack of faith in the legal system coming from the Dakka law professionals...

Why?

If you base your livelihood on understanding the tenets of a specific system of rules, then it would stand to reason that you put some stock in the social utility and validity of those rules no?

Maybe it's not at all uncommon, but it's surprising to me.

OR you realize what a joke the system really is.

**NuggzTheNinja**

Frazzled wrote:
NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Surprised by the lack of faith in the legal system coming from the Dakka law professionals...

Why?

If you base your livelihood on understanding the tenets of a specific system of rules, then it would stand to reason that you put some stock in the social utility and validity of those rules no?

Maybe it's not at all uncommon, but it's surprising to me.

OR you realize what a joke the system really is.

Which is why it's surprising - you would think that people who deal in decisions that have the potential to ruin lives would have some faith in the system that is responsible for doing so. The fact that a lawyer regards the system as a joke is actually fething frightening. It would be like a rocket scientist saying that he has no faith in the mathematical formulas he uses.

**Frazzled**

NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Surprised by the lack of faith in the legal system coming from the Dakka law professionals...

Why?

If you base your livelihood on understanding the tenets of a specific system of rules, then it would stand to reason that you put some stock in the social utility and validity of those rules no?

Maybe it's not at all uncommon, but it's surprising to me.

OR you realize what a joke the system really is.

Which is why it's surprising - you would think that people who deal in decisions that have the potential to ruin lives would have some faith in the system that is responsible for doing so. The fact that a lawyer regards the system as a joke is actually fething frightening. It would be like a rocket scientist saying that he has no faith in the mathematical formulas he uses.

You should be frightened.

**Ensis Ferrae**

Frazzled wrote:
Mr. Burning wrote:
Blame the appeals court ruling and not the Gov.

Guy served his mandated sentence and is due the chance of parole. Providing he passes the board all the boxes are ticked.

SO fething WHAT? The Governor had absolute discretion.

This, what Frazz is saying....

This guy did something that was pretty heinous, on some levels, he was as bad as that Manson fellow a few people may have heard about. And yet, even though Manson has repeatedly "passed" his parole boards, he remains locked up.

**Mr. Burning**

Ensis Ferrae wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
Mr. Burning wrote:
Blame the appeals court ruling and not the Gov.

Guy served his mandated sentence and is due the chance of parole. Providing he passes the board all the boxes are ticked.

SO fething WHAT? The Governor had absolute discretion.

This, what Frazz is saying....

This guy did something that was pretty heinous, on some levels, he was as bad as that Manson fellow a few people may have heard about. And yet, even though Manson has repeatedly "passed" his parole boards, he remains locked up.

If there is nothing preventing this guys release then the Governor shouldn't use his power of veto.

The court handed down its verdict and the letter of the law is being followed.

Liberty and justice for all and what not.

**Frazzled**

There is no justice. Just us.

**Mr. Burning**

Frazzled wrote:
There is no justice. Just us.

Are you the judge or just the clerk to the wiener legion circuit court?

I can just imagine wieners in English court wigs and robes - gavel 'twixt their teeth.

**Frazzled**

I can just imagine wieners in English court wigs and robes - gavel 'twixt their teeth.

And you would imagine correctly. This is a court no cat or squirrel wants to stand before!