UPDATE: House Rejects Governor's 'Three-Strikes' Amendment
The governor on Saturday sent the anti-crime bill back to the Legislature.
Gov. Deval Patrick set in motion a wave of criticism when he sent back the popular "three strikes" crime bill on the grounds that it lacked sufficient provisions for judicial discretion. Warning of possible unintended "unjust consequences" that can arise from mandatory sentencing laws, Patrick wrote in a letter to the Legislature, "None of us is wise or prescient enough to foresee each and every circumstance in which the new habitual offender provisions may apply." On Monday afternoon, the House rejected Patrick's amendment by a vote of 132-23, according to The Boston Globe. Patrick has not indicated whether he would veto a bill that doesn't have the amendment. Critics accuse Patrick of jeopardizing a good anti-crime bill by asking for …
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