BCT Editorial – 10/22/06

This page was last updated on October 22, 2006.

Get it right; Editorial; Beaver County Times; October 22, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Donna Moonda isn’t getting special treatment in her upcoming trial in the shooting death of husband, Dr. Gulam Moonda, on the Ohio Turnpike on May 13, 2005.”

[RWC] Actually, Ms. Moonda is “getting special treatment.” According to The Sharon Herald, “federal law limits [Ms. Moonda] to two lawyers ‘unless exceptional circumstances and good cause are shown.’” Conveniently, the editorial failed to note Ms. Moonda already had a publicly funded lawyer. Ms. Moonda now has a total of three.

“On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge David Dowd did what more judges should do in death penalty cases - made sure a defendant has capable lawyers.

“To that end, Dowd appointed two ‘death-qualified’ attorneys to Moonda’s publicly funded defense team. The 47-year-old Hermitage resident faces the death penalty after federal authorities charged her with murder for hire, aiding and abetting interstate stalking and abetting the use of a firearm during interstate stalking and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the crime of murder.

“The judge also expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding the case, especially the 14 months between the murder and charges being filed, and Moonda’s possible drug dependency at the time of the crime.

“The judge’s approach might have some people grumbling that only criminals have rights.

“However, it’s important for everyone who is interested in this matter to remember that in death penalty cases it pays to dot legal ‘i’s’ (capable defense attorneys) and to cross forensic ‘t’s’ (DNA evidence) with great care because first-degree murder convictions are automatically appealed.

“By getting it right from the start, Dowd’s decisions will benefit the defense and the prosecution.”

[RWC] I’m not saying Judge Dowd made a wrong decision. I just wonder why the Times felt the need to go out of the way to claim Ms. Moonda isn’t getting special treatment when she clearly is.