MWF Prison Escapee, Caught Living in Suburbia 32 Years Later, Gets Probation

MWF Prison Escapee, Caught Living in Suburbia 32 Years Later, Gets Probation

www.freep.com

A woman who escaped from a state prison in Northville Township in 1976 and was on the lam until she was captured in April got a break Tuesday morning when a Wayne County judge offered her probation for the escape.
...Lefevre, 54, formerly of Saginaw, was sentenced to 10-20 years in prison in 1975 for violating drug laws and conspiracy after selling three grams of heroin to an undercover state trooper in 1974. She served 14 months before escaping.

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Related News Links:
detnews.com
www.mahalo.com
www.mlive.com

This is actually quite a story. First, a little back-story...

Source

Marie Walsh, 53, was detained after US Marshals Service agents acting on a tip were led to the mother-of-three's home in San Diego where she had lived for the past 10 years following her jailbreak decades earlier.
Walsh, who was known as Susan Lefevre in 1975 when she was sentenced to between 10 and 20 years for drugs offenses, escaped from a Detroit prison camp after serving a year of her jail term.
She fled to California, married and raised three children before the long arm of the law finally caught up with her.

The question here is whether, despite her obvious rehabilitation in california, she should pay a fair and just price for escaping from prison. Obviously, her socio-economic status has played a role in the judge's sentence.

Would the sentence have been so lenient if she were, say a "welfare mother" [to borrow a phrase with all its inflammatory/defamatory baggage]? Should it have been?

For all the Nancy Grace-types out there, first, God help you.
Second, according to the Detroit News,

"LeFevre's troubles are not over. She was originally convicted of selling drugs and sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison in Saginaw County. [Lefevre's attornet William] Swor called that sentence "illegal" and is fighting to have LeFevre resentenced to either probation or time served....."The fact of the matter was the original sentence was illegal," Swor said. "We hope the judge in Saginaw will agree with us and set aside the sentence and resentence her."
The Saginaw County Prosecutor's Office is expected to file a response in October.

www.freep.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 9.10.2008 by ItsTheQuestion]

[edit on 9.10.2008 by ItsTheQuestion]

[edit on 9.10.2008 by ItsTheQuestion]