Legislative Bill 4122 would create a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years for anyone convicted of certain categories of assault or attempted murder – specifically in cases of incapacitating lifelong injury.
The proposed law defines such an injury as one which “…permanently and significantly Impairs a person’s: (a) Cognitive functioning; (b) Vision or hearing; or (c) Ability to walk, breathe, eat or move the person’s limbs.”
The bill seeks to address the asymmetry between state sentencing maximums for such felons, which can be ten years or less, and the pain and suffering that is borne by survivors, which can last a lifetime.
Committee Room Packed. There was intense interest in the bill’s public hearing in Salem on Monday, which was well-attended by friends and relatives of the children whose tragedies are the impetus behind it. The most famous of these children is Ezra Thomas, of Madras, the namesake for the proposal’s nickname, “Ezra’s Bill.”
[Text Wrapping Break]Ezra was 2 when he was battered by his mother’s then-boyfriend, Josue Jair Mendoza-Melo. Eventually convicted of criminal mistreatment and attempted murder, Mendoza-Melo was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
By way of contrast, severe head trauma has left Ezra legally blind, eating and breathing via tube, and suffering between one and three seizures per hour. He will likely never be able to take care of himself. He is now 4-years-old.
Bill 4122 is the second iteration of this proposal. Last year’s attempt died in committee.
By Peter Bask
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