What amazes me is that the prosecutor offered no time in jail plus probation and an agreement that Ward not have a handgun for 2 years in return for an admission of guilt. The Prosecutor obviously thought this was a just offer. Ward Bird maintained innocence and would not plead guilty. So the prosecutor pursued a charge that had a mandatory 3 year sentence, which in my opinion is not just, nor is it in anyway comparable to the plea bargain. I understand that for a guilty person, the incentive of a plea is a lighter sentence, going to trial risks a harsher punishment. But I feel that the prosecutor in this case was not just in pursuing the charge she pursued, that the punishment does not fit the crime, especially in light of the plea deal and the if Governor Lynch has any stones, he will commute the sentence to time served, quickly.
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