Michael Braun's Blog

Eric Hainstock was convicted of first degree intentional homicide yesterday, in the shooting of his high school principal in the little town of Cazenovia, WI. He was 16 at the time. While I don’t begrudge the verdict – he did go to school with guns, sought out the principal, and then shot him – I do not want Hainstock sentenced to life in prison.

Hainstock bravely took the stand in his own defense towards the end of the trial. He spoke of the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his older step brother, of the abuse he received from his father and step-mother, and of the teasing at school. It became clear to me that he had some difficulty dealing with anger, but also that he had plenty of reason to feel angry. He spoke with teachers and his principal about the teasing; they did not get it to stop.

He was tried as an adult, of course, because 16-year-olds have all the rights as adults. He can’t decide to have sex, but he can commit what the DA called an “adult crime.” Is there a child version of murder? Our legal system turns more and more every day into a victim justice system rather than a criminal justice system. I have no doubt that Hainstock will be sentenced to a lengthy prison term. He probably is now too old to even serve some of it in a juvenile detention center; it’ll be off to maximum security for him, right along side the child molesters, rapists, and real murderers.

The judge in this case will undoubtedly not read this post, but I would encourage him or her to consider Hainstock’s testimony, consider the anger he had inside of him, and make the sentence accordingly. This young man can become a productive member of society, if someone will just give him what he’s never had before – a chance to succeed.