Thursday, March 26, 2009

Laurel Walker: Mark Benson, Bail, and his Mother

Laurel Walker, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, seems to be arguing that Mark Benson should not have to forfeit the $500,000 for violating the conditions of his release.

In "If bail's forfeited, Benson will burn mom, too," Walker writes:

Who needs Bernie Madoff in charge of your money when you've got a son like Mark Benson who can blow the wad?

Benson, the former orthopedic doctor charged with driving intoxicated and killing three and injuring two in an Oconomowoc crash last April, might just have added his mother and stepfather's $500,000 to the toll of damage.

The cash they posted as bail so he could await trial in the comfort of his $1.6 million property on Lower Nashotah Lake in Summit will be forfeited if prosecutors have their way.

I hope prosecutors have their way.

THEIR way is the rule of law.
Benson's relatives in Florida who posted bail - I'm guessing they might even secretly be wishing Davis hadn't lowered that bail in the first place - want to appear at a hearing on whether their cash should be forfeited. It was initially scheduled for Thursday but is expected to be rescheduled.

Benson's mother and stepfather were chumps to post bail. It could be argued that they facilitated their son's dangerous behavior by helping him to walk out of jail. Big, BIG mistake.

I don't see them as victims.

I think a little tough love for the alleged killer of three people was in order.

Benson's parents dropped the ball. They can blame themselves and Benson for the loss of the $500,000, no one else.

If they don't lose the full sum, then what's the point of setting bail?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

No bail money should be return to his parents. It's something they have to learn Tough Love...they never should have provided the money in the first place. And the man who lost his loved ones...perhaps the judge should have discussed the bail lowering with him first. Maybe the judge could pay the money back to the parents.

Mary said...

You say:

"No bail money should be return to his parents."

You say:

"Maybe the judge could pay the money back to the parents."

Anonymous said...

Walker's long opinion is so bogus. Dorothy Benson has known about his addictions and his guns and ammo for years and years and years. I wonder if she took his big gun collection to Florida and sold it for him, before the asset freeze Order went into effect. I bet she will NOT lose her winter place in Sanibel, nor ever had it in jeopardy. The State, the Court and all the victims have to wait, until she feels like driving home to Ill. in May, so she is not inconvenienced? Sounds like she is as self-absorbed as her son.