A World War II veteran named Isaac Hudson should be alive today, but he isn’t.
Although 20-year-old Arthur Lee Clark Jr. (aka A.J.) was no stranger to the wrong side of the law, for years he kept slipping through the fingers of the system until, finally, fatally, it was too late.
Why wasn’t he locked away earlier? Was it a really stupid system? Was it really stupid judges? Well, here are the facts. You decide for yourself.
Born in 1989, by the age of 16 Clark had become what we in California often refer to as a “state-raised” child — a ward of the state.
An aunt of his has voiced the opinion that, when they were around, his indulgent parents spoiled little A.J. rotten. It seems that he got very little discipline or suitable direction in life from his family and role models.
At the age of 16, young A.J. was busted for selling coke while in possession of a loaded firearm.
By this time, the budding criminal was living with his grandparents in the projects. He was given home detention, placed on probation, and returned to his grandparent’s custody.
In 2006, A.J. was again busted — this time for violation of his probation. He was sent to a group home and youth camp (he was not quite 18 years old) in San Bernardino County where he finished his juvenile probation in April 2007.
A mere five months later, young Arthur moved into the world of adult crime, busted for possession of cocaine for sale. He told the cops that he was a crackhead and needed help. He was booked and released.
Shortly thereafter, he stopped a bullet under circumstances that have never been made clear to authorities.
In July 2008, A.J. entered an adult program under Proposition 36, otherwise known as the “dopers-get-out-and–stay-out-of-jail-free” card. He was kept in the program despite having turned in more than a dozen bad drug tests during the months he was enrolled.
In October 2008, a San Francisco cop spotted A.J. driving like a maniac on I-280.
He eluded police but was later tracked down and arrested. He told cops at the time of his arrest that he fled because his license was under suspension, and that he would do so in every situation like this that arose in the future.
Thus, young Arthur came before Judge Carol Yaggy in Superior Court in San Francisco.
The prosecutors wanted to give him 90 days in custody. The probation department noted in his pre-sentencing report that he had a blatant disregard for legal authority and had turned in more than a dozen dirty tests while in the drug program.
Regardless, Judge Yaggy allowed him to plead guilty to a probation violation and sentenced him to time served.
On February 15 of this year, A. J. was again spotted by a San Francisco cop who recognized him and knew that he was driving without a license. The officer attempted to stop him and again Arthur drove off like an insane person. He got away but was later taken into custody at his girlfriend’s house.
In court, prosecutors once again asked for 90 days in custody. A.J. pled guilty to felony evasion and a couple of misdemeanors and Judge Lucy Kelly McCabe released him pending sentencing, with the judicial instruction to “stay out of trouble.”
To Judge McCabe’s surprise, young Arthur didn’t return for sentencing.
In April of 2009, the young Mr. Clark was again busted at his girlfriend’s house, this time with a loaded handgun and weed packaged for sale.
He was arrested for three felonies. He copped to being a marijuana addict, possibly in an attempt to again get into the Proposition 36 drug program.
After six months in pre-trial custody, Arthur came before Judge Philip Moscone. Prosecutors wanted to give him 16 months in state prison. Clark pled guilty and was given time served. He walked out of court a free man. The judge wished him luck on his way out of court.
On November 11, Veteran’s Day, after about six weeks on the street, young Arthur was again driving like an idiot without a license in his girlfriend’s car when he crossed paths with the abovementioned Isaac Hudson.
Mr. Hudson was driving along Alamany Blvd. minding his own business. Clark nailed the World War II veteran at 50 MPH.
Hudson’s heart stopped pumping soon thereafter.
Young Mr. Clark fled, but the wrecked car had his DNA on the air bag and his jail ID in the backseat.
Clark is now a guest of the City and County of San Francisco, held against a bail of $1M.
A man is dead who shouldn’t be, because an unrepentant, repeat criminal was — time and time again — not held responsible for his actions.
That sucks, and the people of San Francisco should be mad as hell about it.