Poll: Should trooper killer have been granted parole?

Anyone who travels Route 18 over the Turnpike will notice the plaque bearing the inscription “Werner Foerster Memorial Bridge.”

To many passing that way, it probably means little.

But to anyone who was around in 1973, and certainly to members of law enforcement, the name Werner Foerster still evokes memories of a gun battle that left the trooper dead.

Now in a ruling handed down yesterday by a state appeals court, one of the assailants, 77 year old Sundiata Acoli, then known as Clark Edward Squire, has been released on parole.

The case is emotionally charged in that one of the killers is still at large. Joanne Chesimard, now going by the name Assata Shakur and listed on the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list – was also convicted of killing Forester back in 1977.
She had escaped from a New Jersey prison in 1979, and since then has reportedly been living in exile in Cuba. After many attempts, the government was unsuccessful in extraditing her.

So where does this lead us.

Here, in the year of our Lord 2014, Acoli is about to be released. I guess the 3 judge appellate panel felt he’s done his time. They write that the parole board ignored information that would have favored his release – such as having been a model prisoner since 1997.

They write that despite having had 27 disciplinary citations charged against him up until ’96 – he’s shown remorse for his actions.

His latest bid for parole was denied in 2011 – this after originally been sentenced to life plus 24 to 30 years in 1974 - and is currently serving time in federal prison in Otisville, N.Y.

In granting Acoli parole, the panel wrote:

"Make no mistake, we are completely appalled by Acoli's senseless crimes, which left a member of the State Police dead and another injured, as well as one of Acoli's associates dead and the other injured," the judges wrote. "But Acoli has paid the penalty under the laws of this State for his crimes."

Bruce Afran, Acoli's attorney, commented that his client took part in a great tragedy but:

"But Acoli has been one of the model inmates of the last 45 years. He truly has overcome a tragic decision he made 40 years ago."

And State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes was quoted as saying:

"The mere passage of time should not excuse someone from the commission of such a horrendous act," Fuentes said in a statement. "My thoughts and prayers go out to the Foerster family whose lives have been deprived of a father and son."

Realizing that this was and individual who killed a state trooper and sought the overthrow of the U.S. Government – should his age and prison record absolve him of his crime?

The appellate panel is betting on the fact that at his age, he’s no danger to society. So I guess life plus 24 means nothing to them!

Bad message on their part!