Sara Jane Olson Taken Back to Prison, Clerical Mistake

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 08:06:01 PM EST
Tags: Sara Jane Olson, Kathleen Soliah (all tags)

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I mentioned yesterday that Sara Jane Olson, aka Kathleen Soliah, the former SLA member (think Patty Hearst) was paroled from prison after serving a six year sentence.

Turns out, the California Department of Corrections says they made an error calculating her release date and she still has a year to go on her sentence. They re-arrested her at LAX last night and she's back in custody.

That just sucks. Sorry, there's no other word for it. Check out these older posts I wrote on Sara Jane's life in prison, on how her prison term got extended and how the extension was later thrown out. Here's more on her guilty plea to the second degree murder charge.

Her lawyers intend to take the matter to court, saying she doesn't deserve to be treated like a yo-yo. I totally agree.

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Sara Jane Olson Taken Back to Prison, Clerical Mistake | 34 comments (34 topical)

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are you really that stupid? Is it just politics? (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by jones on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 11:49:03 PM EST

Is it just because she's a leftist? You feel sympathy for this complete horror of a human being?

On April 21, 1975, SLA members robbed the Crocker National Bank in Carmichael, California, killing Myrna Opsahl, a bank customer, in the process. Patty Hearst, who admitted to being a getaway driver, stated that Soliah was one of the actual robbers. According to Hearst, Soliah also kicked a pregnant teller in the abdomen, leading to a miscarriage. Myrna Opsahl (1933-1975) was a church worker, a mother of four, and a murder victim of the notorious Symbionese Liberation Army. She died April 21, 1975 during a Carmichael, California bank robbery. Newspaper heiress and kidnapping/brainwashing victim Patty Hearst was the driver of the getaway car during this robbery. Her death led to a lengthy campaign for justice, which finally in 2002 led to the arrest of Emily Harris, William Harris, Kathleen Soliah, Michael Bortin, and James Kilgore for the murder. Emily Harris admitted to firing the fatal shotgun blast, but claimed it was an accident.

You want to talk about torture? How about the bank teller who suffered a miscarriage? You think her life is not still tortured? How about the 4 kids who were killed during a robbery in which Olsen took part? She got off easy as it was. This is he kind of crime the death penalty was created for: cruelty and barbarically kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach. Sounds like something the Manson family would do. You people disgust me. Who speaks for the victims, while you are all crying big tears for poor old Sara Jane? She does eventually get to go home. Her victims never will, and their families will never be reunited with their loved ones. She can rot in there, and she deserves it. Thank god they caught the error. She deserves what she dished out, IMHO.

: On the teevee, usually the getaway driver (none / 0) (#10)
by jes on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 12:01:57 AM EST

sits outside in the getaway car. I'm so happy we don't throw people in jail and lock the key for what someone else alledged.

[ Parent ]
: Death penalty? (none / 0) (#18)
by Fabian on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 03:36:00 AM EST

Hmmmm, I wonder how many domestic abuse incidents result in miscarriages. So you are saying that if a man causes his SO to miscarry, then he should get the death penalty?

[ Parent ]

I'm sorry, but ... (5.00 / 1) (#13)
by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 12:47:54 AM EST

... from a personal standpoint, I have absolutely no sympathy for the woman. She committed kidnapping, assault, bank robbery and murder, and proceeded to dodge any personal responsibility for the crimes until she was finally busted in Minnesota under an alias, some 25 years later. She deserved far worse than what she ultimately got. I mean, we sent Patty Hearst to prison for a bank robbery conviction, and she was Ms. Soliah's kidnap victim!

Okay, I think I got that out of my system.

Now, that said, the State of California is clearly trying to move the goal posts here, and that's simply unconscionable.

Our system of justice mandates that the prosecution gets but one bite at the apple. If we allow the state to make an exception for Ms. Soliah in that regard, to retroactively re-calculate her parole date simply because people still harbor a lot of personal animosity toward her, we are setting a damningly dubious legal precedent. If she's already served her proscribed sentence as it was initially dictated to her, then absolutely she should be set free.

: From the link in Squeaky's comment (none / 0) (#17)
by oculus on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 01:23:58 AM EST

above, it looks like the error was failure to add on the time attributable to the Sacramento County conviction, time for which she had already received a sentence.

[ Parent ]

Oh come now (5.00 / 1) (#20)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 08:07:09 AM EST

She confessed. So a mistake was made. So what.

Will her victims rise from their grave??

Sheriff Of Nottingham Fan Club (none / 0) (#22)
by squeaky on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 10:41:59 AM EST

Honary member?

Kathleen Soliah did not harm anyone so there is no one to rise from his or her grave.

Hearst's sentence was commuter by Jimmy Carter and she was pardoned by Bill CLinton.

Maybe the same will happen for Kathleen Soliah when either Clinton or Obama become POTUS. BTW-your BushCo pals make Soliah look like little miss muffet. Many are dead because of their lies and misdeeds.

[ Parent ]

This seems appropriate for today: (none / 0) (#24)
by Dark Avenger on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 12:49:25 PM EST

From Matthew 25:

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

[ Parent ]

I would say (none / 0) (#26)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 03:17:49 PM EST

let the dead bury the dead, but they can't seem to grasp the shovel's handle.

[ Parent ]

To enlarge upon a point you made earlier (none / 0) (#27)
by Dark Avenger on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 06:48:14 PM EST

no matter what happens to SJO, it won't bring anyone back from the dead.

[ Parent ]

The mission is not to do the impossible (none / 0) (#28)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 10:06:43 PM EST

but to punish the evil according to the law.

Do you have a problem with that?

[ Parent ]

Never said otherwise on this thread or (none / 0) (#29)
by Dark Avenger on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 10:21:06 PM EST

elsewhere, although the law is set up to punish crimes(for which SJO has admitted responsibility), not for fighting evil like some superhero in tights.

[ Parent ]

You're the one (none / 0) (#31)
by jimakaPPJ on Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 02:07:07 PM EST

called "The Dark Avenger."

Should we change it to "Disco Duck?"

;-)

[ Parent ]

I don't wear tights (none / 0) (#32)
by Dark Avenger on Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 05:38:58 PM EST

and I thought "Superoldgrouch" was taken or I would've used it.

[ Parent ]

Does Disco Duck (none / 0) (#33)
by jimakaPPJ on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 11:58:05 AM EST

wear tights??

;-)

Have nice day.

[ Parent ]

: Thanks for demonstrating (none / 0) (#34)
by Dark Avenger on Tue Mar 25, 2008 at 09:25:13 PM EST

what happens when your tights cut off the blood supply to the brain :>)

[ Parent ]

Hmmm (none / 0) (#25)
by jimakaPPJ on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 03:15:24 PM EST

It sure seems like she is guilty of second degree murder....

Do people confess to that because they harmed no one???

[ Parent ]

Oh Lord that's awful. nt (4.50 / 2) (#1)
by Maria Garcia on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 08:08:46 PM EST

horrible (4.50 / 2) (#4)
by sarany on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 09:51:25 PM EST

I can't imagine her state of mind. This qualifies as torture of a sort... cruel and unusual punishment, at least.

Who can we contact (4.50 / 2) (#5)
by allimom99 on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 10:01:15 PM EST

to express support for her team?

I just read the back posts and the (4.50 / 2) (#7)
by jes on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 10:53:54 PM EST

comments on them as well as the wiki article on Sara Jane Olson. She has been punished enough, she had rehabilitated herself before the capture. Given the circumstances, it sounds like she should have gotten only the 3 to 4 years. I hope her lawyers can get her free - enough is enough.

It's ridiculous (4.50 / 2) (#9)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 11:59:54 PM EST

How much more "rehabilitiation" could she obtain in another year of prison?

How likely is it that she would reoffend at her age?

The most cold and calculating person should have looked at this and said, "we have nothing to gain by bringing her back, and $40,000/yr to lose (or whatever it costs per year to house a prisoner). What's done is done. We screwed up. Let her go."

Instead, they inflicted a nightmare on this person. They are hideous.

I can only imagine how many inmate (none / 0) (#11)
by oculus on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 12:04:29 AM EST

lawsuits would follow if she was erroneously released before serving her sentence and everyone else had to stay put. I assume her attorneys knew she was released early as a result of error.

[ Parent ]

However (none / 0) (#14)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 12:58:05 AM EST

I assume she wasn't the first who was released via the same kind of error.

[ Parent ]

: I've heard of detention facilities, such (none / 0) (#16)
by oculus on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 01:22:18 AM EST

as county jails, erroneously releasing the wrong person. And I've heard of inmates in county jails being held too long. I've never heard of this type of error.

[ Parent ]

An algorithm for computing the (4.50 / 2) (#19)
by JSN on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 07:21:46 AM EST

tentative departure date (TDD) for a prison inmate is very complicated and the probability of making an error is high. To increase the chance an error will be detected the TDD should be computed as soon as possible (within a few days of admission to prison) and that date should be made available to all interested parties.

: That is exactly what the sentencing spokesman (none / 0) (#30)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Mar 24, 2008 at 12:23:51 PM EST

said this AM in NPR.
She also said it's still done with paper and pencil by error-prone human beings.
She said the release date was determined in 2004 and was only questioned because a SF reporter researched and discovered the mistake.

[ Parent ]

We'll be waiting for her (4.50 / 2) (#21)
by eric on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 10:21:31 AM EST

back here in Minnesota. And yes, she will be welcome.

Six plus one years for murder and attempted murder (none / 0) (#2)
by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 08:23:30 PM EST

That seems pretty light. It is certainly lighter than Myrna Opsahl got.

Signature Song

I thought 2nd degree murder carried (none / 0) (#6)
by oculus on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 10:52:58 PM EST

a 15 year to life sentence in CA, w/credit for time served. Need more details here. Looks like, from Jeralyn's second link, a resentencing was ordered.

[ Parent ]

1975 (none / 0) (#12)
by squeaky on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 12:40:03 AM EST

If Olson had committed her crimes today, she would face at least 15 years to life for the second-degree murder of Opsahl and be ineligible for parole consideration for at least 10 years. But the law in effect in 1975, which governed her sentencing after her arrest in 1999, prescribed shorter, fixed-term sentences for both crimes.


[ Parent ]

: Looks like the error involved the (none / 0) (#15)
by oculus on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 01:20:28 AM EST

Sacramento conviction not being taken into account in calculating the release date.

[ Parent ]

I agree that sucks. (none / 0) (#3)
by KevinMc on Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 08:27:49 PM EST

I wonder how many clerical mistakes have went the other direction, resulting in late releases.

sometimes i would think it might be (none / 0) (#23)
by hellothere on Sun Mar 23, 2008 at 11:27:19 AM EST

better to just let things be rather than make oneself look silly like these folks clearly do.