Judge denies 'Gang Mom' time off prison term

EUGENE, Ore.--Judge Debra Vogt denied notorious "gang mom" Mary Thompson early release from prison.

Thompson, who has a release date in 2011,  was eligible for an extra 10 percent off her sentence under House Bill 3508.

Thompson was convicted of murder for ordering two teens to kill Aaron Iturra, a Eugene teenager who planned to testify against Thompson's son in an assualt trial.  She was also convicted of burglary and several counts of tampering related to the murder, which were eligible for the extra 10 percent, which amounted to nine months.

"It does my heart good to know that Mary is denied," said Janyce Iturra, Aaron's mother.  She exchanged hugs with supporters after the short hearing. 

Thompson, who attended the hearing by telephone, only spoke to affirm she could hearing the proceedings.

"To have something like this come up and reopen all these wounds, you take the scab off the sore," said Iturra.  "I don't know how else to describe it because that's what it is.  You finally move on and things are going okay you feel like you're getting your family back together and bam, the system bites me one more time."

Iturra is not the only crime victim feeling stung by House Bill 3508, which is a cost cutting measure designed to preserve public safety services.

Many crime victims have had to go through a similar process, said Steve Doell, with Crime Victims United, an advocacy group.

"This is not good public policy. This is not good for law abiding citizens," said Doell.  "It's going to cause more crimes and more victimizations."

Vogt, who has presided over several 3508 hearings since October, said any system that causes victims to go through experiences like Iturra's, is broken.

"On behalf of that broken system of justice, I do apologize for any pain," Vogt said to Iturra during Friday's hearing.  Vogt also noted any pain was likely not the intention of lawmakers who passed the bill.

That was definitely not the intention, said Shannon Wight, associate director of Partnership for Safety and Justice, an advocacy group that supports the bill.

"It is awful that it's retraumatizing some people but it's also critical that people have opportunity to be heard and not overlooked when bills like this are passed," said Wight.    

Wight said the bill is applying retroactively to current inmates, but in the future, 3508 decisions would be made during the original sentencing.  That would mean crime victims would not have to go through another hearing, she siad.

Senator Floy Prozanski, who helped draft the bill, has said he plans to change the bill during February's special session so inmates like Thompson would not be eligible for the extra 10 percent.

The 3508 hearings have helped restore Oregon State Police jobs, among other public safety services, said Wight.

"The legislature said this was going to save six million dollars," said Doell, adding some have estimated the state is saving less than that.  "Remember, the state of Oregon's all funds budget is 54 billion dollars.  I'm not very good at math but I think six million against 54 billion is one half of one percent."

The hearings are also increasing workload at the Lane County District Attorney's Office, but DA Alex Gardner said his office is meeting the demand.