Blood In, Blood Out by John Lee Brook

Author:John Lee Brook [BROOK, JOHN LEE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781900486804
Publisher: SCB Distributors
Published: 2011-06-27T04:00:00+00:00

Penalty and Punishment

WHEN THE PENALTY portion of the trial began, it was August in Southern California. Which meant hot as Hell. And Hell was where the prosecutors wanted to send the Baron and the Hulk. The government prosecutors were seeking the death penalty for Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham.

US Assistant Attorney Rodney Pierce stood in front of the jury. He said: “Unless these two convicted murderers die for their crimes, they will continue to be a danger to other prisoners. As you know, they’ve already ordered the deaths of seventeen inmates. You found them guilty of those murders.

“Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham,” declared Pierce, pointing at the docket and the two killers, looking on and listening while their deaths were urged, “orchestrated the murders of seventeen inmates. All while they were incarcerated in the federal supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.”

Pierce turned to the jury, his manner blunt. “The supermax prison in Florence, ladies and gentlemen, is the most secure in the entire prison system. In other words, that’s the best we can do. There is no alternative.” He paused. “Psychologists and psychiatrists tell us that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. In other words, the way I acted last year is probably indicative of how I will act in the future. If that’s the truth, then these two men will go on killing and killing and killing, because that’s what they’ve done in the past.”

Pierce cocked his head and held up a hand. “Now that doesn’t mean people can’t change. They can change—if they want to. They can change and the law provides many opportunities for them to change.” He gazed flatly at the jury. “Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham have chosen not to change. You have already heard evidence about the choices these men made. And based on what you heard, you decided there was enough evidence to convict them of seventeen cold-blooded murders.”

Pierce looked up for effect, pausing, and then made a gun of his right hand, pointing at the jurors. “When Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham made choices—people died!

“I’m asking you to stand up and say ‘it’s enough!’

“In 1977, a prison guard at San Quentin penitentiary was an eyewitness as Barry Mills leaned over the body of Garland Berry—a fellow inmate—and stabbed him over and over again in the chest and face.”

Pierce moved a step closer to the jury, holding up two fingers. “Just two years later, in 1979, Barry Mills was convicted of killing another fellow inmate—John Marzloff. With his own hand, Barry Mills stabbed him to death in the Atlanta federal prison.

“Both men—Barry Mills and Tyler Bingham—have been committed to longer and longer prison sentences. Yet, despite that fact, the evidence shows you these men committed their most violent crimes while serving their prison sentences.”

Pierce walked away a few steps, then walked back. “On three different occasions—in 1996 and 1997—Barry Mills tried to introduce cyanide into the federal prison system. He tried to smuggle this extremely lethal poison into prison. This is an example of how the man thinks, how he operates.

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