The worst thing about a scam like this is that the next defendant who comes along and legitimately deserves some consideration will have a harder time getting it.
Christopher Flauding was considered retarded.
Now, 27 years after he killed a Merrillville woman, he's about to go free, a bachelor's degree in anthropology to his name.
Flauding was 17 when he attacked Celia Villareal with a butcher knife as she walked into her far-Northwestern Indiana home.Now 44, Flauding disputes labels such as "borderline mentally retarded" and "a limited mind" that were attached to him -- and may have saved him from the death penalty.
And there's no point in hating the defense attorney, who was just doing what the defense attorney is supposed to do. Our real anger should be directed at those on the other side who didn't work hard enough to document the hustle. The prosecutor didn't even challenged the "retarded" claim. What was that all about? Here is that prosecutor. Note the barely concealed sarcasm:
"Hopefully, the education the state has provided him above and beyond that a lot of kids not committing those crimes will get will serve him well. I surely hope all the violent tendencies he showed have been expunged."
It's worth noting, however, that this particular prosecutor has become a defense attorney, so I guess she must not think there are too many violent criminals scamming the system. Oops, guess I have a little issue with defense attorneys after all.
That education, I'm sorry to say, was provided by my alma mater, Ball State. So, if you want a college degree, you can get good grades, try for a scholarship, work during high school and save your money, get your parents to help, take out a loan and join the military for a few years so Uncle Sam will help foot the bill. Or you can kill somebody. What a deal.
