EDITORIALS: Life Sentence Plea Helps California Victim’s Family Move On

Recently, a California man pled guilty to the 2006 murder of Highway Patrolman Earl Scott. The defendant, Columbus Allen Jr., whose pre-trial proceedings took more than four years, will now spend the rest of his life in prison, having waived his appeals. The Stanislaus County district attorney originally sought the death penalty against Allen, but there were no guarantees that verdict would have been reached. Additionally, when the death penalty is imposed in California, years of appeals often follow, and it is not unusual for convicted murderers to outlive the family members of the murder victims. An editorial in the Modesto Bee noted that the plea will save the county over $1 million in additional expenses that would have been spent in a capital trial. Moreover, the paper noted, the emphasis can now be put on the victim, rather than on the pepetrator: “In recent years, it has seemed that Earl Scott was the forgotten victim and all the attention was on Allen, who went through multiple defense attorneys. Every time the trial was about to proceed, there would be another motion causing a delay. It was frustrating, even for those who value the process over a rush to justice… .[Now] Earl Scott … will be remembered - by his family and friends, of course, but also by his colleagues in law enforcement and by our community.” Read full editorial below.

Tuesday, Aug. 03, 2010
A satisfactory end to CHP tragedy

The court proceedings against Columbus Allen Jr. II dragged on for more than four years and then came to an abrupt and somewhat surprising conclusion Monday morning with his guilty plea to the 2006 murder of California Highway Patrolman Earl Scott.

It is, we think, the best outcome for this horrific crime. Allen, 34, will spend the rest of his life in prison with no chance of parole.

Bill Scott, Earl’s father, told The Bee that he was satisfied with the resolution, in part because it assures that the family will see Allen punished for his crime.

The Stanislaus County district attorney’s office was seeking the death penalty, but there were no guarantees that the jury and judge would have reached that verdict. And even when the death penalty is imposed in California, it results in year after year of appeals. It is not unusual for convicted murderers to outlive the family members of the murder victims.

The Allen case won’t be tangled up in any of that. It’s over. Allen pleaded guilty to multiple charges and, as part of the offer through his attorney, waived the right to appeal.

A side benefit — though surely not a deciding factor — is that this plea will save the county $1 million or more in additional prosecution expenses expected with a trial that likely would have lasted four to six months. Of course the county has already spent a sizable sum to get to this point.

Earl Scott was gunned down along Highway 99 near Salida early in the morning of Feb. 17, 2006. Neighbors and law enforcement colleagues described him as a loyal friend, a devoted officer and the kind of man you wanted your sister to fall in love with. He regularly invited neighbors into the garage of his Hughson home.

In recent years, it has seemed that Earl Scott was the forgotten victim and all the attention was on Allen, who went through multiple defense attorneys. Every time the trial was about to proceed, there would be another motion causing a delay. It was frustrating, even for those who value the process over a rush to justice.

There is no happy outcome in any murder case, especially one that takes the life of a dedicated law enforcement officer.

But we think there’s some closure in the fact that Allen will spend however many years he has left in state prison. He’ll go first to one of the 11 prisons with receiving centers, where he’ll be evaluated. But as a murderer, he’s destined for a maximum security prison somewhere in the state. It’s unlikely we’ll hear much about him again.

Earl Scott, on the other hand, will be remembered - by his family and friends, of course, but also by his colleagues in law enforcement and by our community. Two years ago, a park in Hughson was renamed in his memory.

(“A satisfactory end to CHP tragedy,” The Modesto Bee, August 3, 2010). See Editorials, Life Without Parole and Victims.