Gordon Forgey

Judge David Frazier would have nothing of it when presented with a plea bargain in the Daniel Lazcano case.

Lazcano, as you will remember, was twice tried for the murder of Marcus Schur.

Twice, jurors could not arrive at a verdict and both trials ended in a hung jury.

Daniel Lazcano was the suspected shooter in Schur’s death. Yet, Daniel’s brother, Frank, complicit in the incident and coverup, has already been sentenced to 25 years for felony murder.

The plea bargain for Daniel presented last week involved him pleading guilty to the shooting. The proposed sentence was a mere 27 months.

To his credit, Judge Frazier refused the plea bargain, declaring in no uncertain terms that it would be an injustice and an insult that Daniel get off so lightly while his brother served such a lengthy sentence.

Now, Daniel Lazcano, free on his own recognizance, may face a third trial.

One thing for sure is that the trial will have to be held outside Whitman County. That leads to extra expenses and more difficulties. Still, if we are to to put justice over expediency, it is a small price to pay.

Judge David Frazier has it right and made his ruling bluntly clear. Justice is paramount, and he will not be a party to anything less.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher