Nicky Barnes probably already knows
this, but the Harlem drug kinpin who turned government informer
may find out that justice isn't always as blind as they say it
is.
Barnes, whose invaluable help in the war against drugs was
detailed in this space four weeks ago, needs a presidential
commutation to get out from under a life-without-parole sentence
he began in January, 1978.
When he was U.S. Attorney, Rudolph Giuliani recommended that
Barnes be given the commutation. Giuliani was fulfilling a
promise made by a predecessor to recommend leniency for Barnes in
return for his help in nailing more than 40 drug dealers and
murderers.
Letting the ex-drug dealer out of jail may make some sense as
a crimefighting technique - you don't get convicts to turn on
their ex-friends if there's no reward in sight. But it isn't
likely to win you any votes, however. And Giuliani is now a
mayoral candidate and he's already been bashed over the head by
my colleague Mike McAlary for keeping his promise to Barnes.
If the Republican bosses at Justice think the release of
Barnes will hand the Democrats a Willie Horton-type issue, they
may think twice about letting Barnes out. You remember Horton. He
was the convicted murderer who raped a woman while on a prison
furlough backed by Michael Dukakis. Horton became the villian of
George Bush TV commercials.
If Giuliani deserved criticism, it's not for keeping a promise
his office made with Barnes, but for ducking all queries about
it. What Giuliani did was in the best interest of all New Yorkers
- all he needs to do is stand up for it, not run away from it.
Last week, Giuliani was quoted in The New York Times as
telling an Irish-American group that questioned his office's
handling of the extradition controversy involving IRA soldier
Joseph Doherty: "Unlike Ed KOch, I'm not going to tell you
what you like to hear so you will like me better."
Well Rudy, let's hear from you about Nicky Barnes.
