Mrs. Keating’s Plea for Her Jailed Husband

Mrs. Keating’s letter strikes a note of truth regarding the criminal justice system and Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner’s handling of the matter of Charles Keating’s bail.

Where is the equal protection afforded all criminal defendants in the Keating case? Three of his co-defendants had their bail set at $200,000 or less per person. Keating, on the other hand, is still in jail because he is unable to raise $5 million in bail, roughly 25 times higher then his co-defendants.

There is probably a lot of merit to the charges against Keating and his co-defendants. Judicial fairness requires that a defendant be tried in a court of law, not in the press. By his statements and conduct in the Keating case, Reiner has demonstrated the same kind of poor judgment that botched the McMartin Pre-School prosecution. It is no wonder Arlo Smith is the Democratic nominee for attorney general.

If Keating is a crook, then the facts and testimony will prove it. In the meanwhile, why not treat Keating the same as Michael Milken or mob boss John Gotti? If Reiner doesn’t care about his political future, he should at least consider the integrity of the district attorney’s office and the criminal justice system.

SEAN McCARTHY

Los Angeles