Now That's Tough on Crime

**countybear** · 03-21-11, 09:33 PM

Now That's Tough on Crime
Written by Mark Nichols
There's nothing a cop hates more than the idea of a violent criminal getting "kid gloves" treatment from soft on crime courts and judges. If the criminal in question killed a cop it's even worse. That's why it's so refreshing to hear about a judge that knows where cop killers belong and for how long. According to NBC Miami, Yancy Polk, a 26-year-old Broward man was sentenced to 14 life sentences for shooting a Coral Springs police officer four times while trying to escape after a robbery.

Thankfully the cop, Paul Kempinski, survived.

But the fact that Kempinski was lucky did not play into the judge's sentencing formula.
Judge Jeffrey Levenson gave the would-be cop-killer 14 life sentences.

"Your choices and your conduct were obviously reprehensible," Levenson said before handing down the sentence.

"Each step along the way it escalated. Each step along the way you had a choice. And each step along the way you made a bad choice."

Polk and another man robbed an auto parts store of $1,200, but cops arrived and gave chase when the suspects' fled.

After shooting Kempinski, Polk stormed a nearby house and took a family hostage for about an hour before finally surrendering.

During the sentencing, Levenson read each life sentence individually.
Now Polk will have a very long time to reflect on his bad choices.

Bravo to the judge. I hope he covered all his bases in the sentence and added "without benefit...", otherwise, we'll see him again...

Its sad but true that in spite of the intent (and for that matter, authority) of some judges, someone down the line will allow this animal back into the free world.