It?s time for Myers to serve her sentence

Sunday?s edition of the Southern Standard included the headline story where convicted murderer Doug Myers still maintains his innocence.

While Myers and his wild claims are not likely to earn him any sympathy from Warren County residents, his story did bring an important piece of information to the surface. His mother, Clementine Myers has yet to serve a day in jail for her part in the murders after being sentenced over two years ago to serve 20 months.

Whoever said justice should be swift needs to remind the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals of that belief. Justice sure hasn?t been swift for Clementine Myers, especially considering the crime itself was committed in July, 1999 and she was sentenced by Judge John Turnbull in March, 2004.

The Court of Criminal Appeals enters the picture because defense attorney Bob Peters immediately appealed the sentence. Peters argued his elderly client, now 69, should avoid jail time because of her age and because jail time wouldn?t serve as a deterrent for her committing future crimes.

District attorney Dale Potter argued Clementine Myers doesn?t deserve mercy and Judge Turnbull agreed. Turnbull correctly asserted, ?Anybody could commit a crime when they got old? if he didn?t sentence Myers to jail.

The Standard agrees in full and issues a plea to the appeals court to put some spring in its step. Yes, our legal system is bogged down with an overload of cases. Yes, appeals of this nature take time. But two years and three months is long enough.

A woman who played a role in the death of three people ? including two children ? has been convicted by a White County jury. It?s perhaps the most tragic crime to strike our community over the past decade.

And while not at the murder scene, Clementine Myers was a part of it. A 20-month sentence barely approaches the amount of time she really deserves in jail. She deserves no special consideration, regardless of if she?s 69 or 99.

Potter admits the delay has been lengthy and is anxious to see Myers serve her sentence. ?We?re playing a waiting game that?s beyond our control,? Potter said.

Here?s hoping that waiting game ends in the very near future with Clementine Myers making a trip to jail. She doesn?t deserve to dodge punishment any longer.