Down the Coast with Dana Parsons

Some people want convicted child molester Sid Landau to die in hell. He says he expects to die in jail, although technically he’s in a state mental hospital and trying to win his release after being in custody since 2000.

Wherever he dies, the 69-year-old remains a classic study of what happens when the concepts of personal freedom and public fear collide. Landau has admitted to molesting 10 boys but was last convicted in 1988 and served out his eight-year sentence. Afterward, he violated probation twice — neither time for molestation — and was sent back to jail. Before his scheduled release in 2000, prosecutors petitioned to keep him in a state hospital as a potential threat.

Three times Orange County juries have heard his plea for release. He came closest the first time, in 2006, with 11 of 12 jurors favoring his release. But he needed all 12. The second time, jurors voted 8 to 4 to deny him. Last week, a jury did finally give him a unanimous verdict: Unfortunately for him, the vote was 12 to 0 to keep him in custody.

His attorney is appealing and says the strongest element was the judge’s ruling to let prosecutors bring in an outside expert to testify about Landau, rather than use a state mental health specialist.

Those are but details. What hangs over the case is the philosophy of fear. Or perhaps more accurately, the fear of the unknown. Most of us are aware of the legacy of repeat offenses from pedophiles, and it’s a chilling thought to free one who might strike again.

Yet, we also say we value personal freedom and paying one’s debt to society. It’s been 20 years since Landau was convicted. He did his time. No one can say for sure he’d molest again.

But because no one can be sure he won’t, we keep him imprisoned.

Deprive someone of their freedom for a heinous crime?

No problem. Count me in.

Keep them locked up for something they might do?

I’m not God.

Comments

[frank]

Once a molester always a molester, once a murderer always a murderer. If people think that they could kill or molest for there pleasure then we as a human race can have the dangerous ones from not living among us. God can keepith, God can takith away. Humans can want love and peace, humans can get rid of those who don't.

[Crusader]

Dana, as always, is right on target.

We should not be keeping people locked up for what they might do. No matter how terrible the crimes that Landau committed, he paid his debt to society.

Landau is only one of THOUSANDS who sit in California hosprisons at our expense, most of them only for the fact that they "might" commit a crime again.

The system is in great need of revamping.

[Mary]

How can we keep people locked up for what they might do? The problem is a person who has a mental illness needs to be in a different facility ,
Why can't we have some of these prison facilities hold just the mentally ill?
Parsons always makes us think...