GUILTY, That Is All

[innerSpaceman]

Some of you may remember that a little over 2 years ago, my nephew Paul - 15 years old at the time - was shot in a gang drive-by that happened in broad daylight in front of Taft High School on busy Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley. Two other kids were also shot, but Paul suffered the worst injuries - and was left paralyzed from the waist down.

He remains in the highest spirits I can possibly imagine for a person so afflicted and victimized - - ponder just for a moment what it would mean to your existence not only to never stand or walk, but how your sexual, bowel and bladder functions would be affected by having, well, zero functionality.

Anyway, for the last 3 weeks, the gangster thugs who shot and paralyzed Paul have been on trial in the Los Angeles Superior Court ... and yesterday the jury came down with a verdict of GUILTY on all counts. Jeff Young and Terry Taylor were each convicted of three counts of aggravated mayhem and three counts of premeditated attempted murder, plus several firearms violations and of commiting the offenses to benefit a criminal street gang.

This is a happy day for me and for my family. We are much relieved that the fu<ksters who paralyzed Paul are not getting away with it, and far moreso that an unknown number of people are future-safe from asshats who will shoot into a crowd of school children. These scum are the very definition of menace to society. And they will be in prison for a long, long time.


Actually, Kristopher Govea, the Latino driver of the car, testified against Taylor and Young (fingering his best friend, Jeff Taylor, as the shooter) in return for a reduced sentence of 17 years, 4 months. Except that he will lose his protective custody when he leaves the L.A. County Jail for full-fledged prision, where he will arrive with a snitch jacket that means a death sentence. He will undoubtedly be killed by members of the black gang that he ratted out (Liggett Street, a Blood gang in the Valley), and will have no protection from the Mexican gangs that he has no affiliation with.

The quasi-retard Terry Taylor, who also testified at the trial that Jeff Young was the shooter, is also likely to be thought of as a rat-fink snitch and targeted for termination. Jeff Young, who tried to get away with the laughable story that he wasn't even there (after being identified by a dozen eyewitnesses and his two accomplices) will not be getting off so easily as to die young. Mr. Young will be in prison till he's very, very old.

Sentencing is set for December 12th, but the D.A. tells me that Young and Taylor are likely to each get three consecutive life sentences (one for each of the victims), plus 75 years for the gang convictions. That will make them eligible for parole, oh, around 2097. Jeff Young may be a tough little punk, but he's a relatively small guy (his gang name is "Tiny Bad News") and I look forward to him being someone's prison bitch for the next few decades.


This has been a very trying and emotional experience for my family. We have had to re-live through witness testimony an incident that causes us much grief, and frankly I had to learn much about my nephew's condition that I had successfully blocked from my consciousness. On top of that, we've had to learn more about gang life than I ever wanted to know. Much as I am relieved about the verdict, I am left feeling hollow and sad about all the shattered lives involved in this affair - from my nephew who will never walk or have sex, to the gangsters with no sense of humanity who will now rot in jail.

Still, I am very glad that we have gotten our shot at justice, which many people do not - - and that justice has prevailed. A tiny bit of the world's evil has been rendered ineffective to society, and I hope to be a little bit gladder because of that.

I suppose I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving ... and I have hopes to be much more thankful still if medical science advances someday to the point where Paul's spinal injuries can be healed. In the meanwhile, his good spirits in the face of tragedy and daily horrors is an inspiration to me.


Please forgive me if I get a little emotional on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride for the forseeable future.

[Ghoulish Delight]

May the bastards rot uncomfortably.

[Olympicnut]

Thank GOD! I remember that shooting as I drove by it about 30 minutes before it happened! My work is nearby so when you hear something like this its a little unnerving.

Glad those bastards are getting their due, and glad to hear your nephew has such high spirits!

[wendybeth]

I can't imagine how horrible this has been for you and your family, especially your young nephew. I hope the bastards suffer and die in prison. More than anything, I hope research continues to progress and that your nephew will one day walk, have sex and live his life as happily and healthily as most of us are blessed to do.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Steve, I'm so glad those bastards have gotten their due. Best wishes to your nephew and the rest of your family. I also hope things have been patched between you and the family, I remember you having some rough spots in that dept.

[Gemini Cricket]

If that story had ended with 'and they got away scott free' I would have been so mad right now.
I'm glad they found them guilty. Off to 'Oz' with them. And not the fun Judy Garland Oz but the scary HBO Oz.

[Moonliner]

To hell with the thugs, it's time for you and the kid to go out live life to the fullest. Perhaps send them a few postcards during their prison stay: Here we are on space mountain, what did you do today? Oh! Here is a shot of us next to the Eiffel tower, what's new with you? Hey, here we are floating outside space station one, and you?

It's the best revenge I can think of, aside from perhaps letting their memory die a lonely death along with their souls.

[tracilicious]

Score one for the legal system. I'm glad you and your family have some closure. Best wishes for your nephew.

[cstephens]

I remember hearing about the story on the news, and then I remember it being posted that your nephew was a victim. I'm glad that they were found guilty so that some modicum of justice is done - more of that to come, I hope. Best wishes to you and your family and especially your nephew.

[€uroMeinke]

While the situation is still horrific to think it even came about, it's nice to know that the system works sometimes and these thugs are now off the streets.