You know, before we go to break, there's another story I want to address briefly. We talked
about this way back when, Louis, when John Demjanjuk was first arrested, and if you don't
remember this story, John Demjanjuk is an individual who was previously tried for alleged
involvement in helping to kill Jews in a Nazi death camp during World War II. Recently a
German court sentenced him to five years in prison for his role in killing just under
28,000 Jews at the death camp. Lawyers... he's Ukrainian-born, and his lawyers are saying
they're going to appeal the verdict.
He's 91 years old, OK? And the debate over John Demjanjuk has been, given the fact that
he is 91, given the fact that he is, I don't know if it's dementia or Alzheimer's or what,
but his mental faculties are greatly diminished, his physical well-being is certainly... he's
not doing well physically either, and given the fact that he was also previously exonerated
in a different trial, doesn't it make sense to just say you know what? We're not going
to pursue this one.
Now, others have said any crime needs to be pursued, the statute of limitations is not
a factor, so therefore, if we have a reason to believe he is guilty of helping to kill
Jews, then we are going to prosecute it. What's your thought on this?
Louis: It's a tough call. I mean, if the guy wakes up every day forgetting what happened
the last day, what's the point of locking him up? Is...
David: Well, the question is is it for him or is it for society?
Louis: Yeah.
David: Society remembers what he did, then does it matter that he doesn't?
Louis: Yeah, I... is just that... is just the fact that he was found guilty enough?
In this case, I think yes. I don't see the point of putting a guy like this in prison.
David: This was at the Sobibor Camp in Poland during World War II. Demjanjuk came to the
U.S. in the early 50s, he became a citizen in '58, he had been exonerated in a separate
Holocaust trial two decades ago in Israel. In that trial, he actually was initially sentenced
to death for being the notorious Ivan the Terrible camp guard at Treblinka, but then
that was overturned by the Israeli Supreme Court when new evidence said that he wasn't
Ivan the Terrible. But again, that doesn't mean that he was no one, and clearly this
trial indicates that he actually was someone who helped... who had a role in the killing
of almost 28,000 Jews.
So it is definitely a tough situation. He's in a wheelchair, sometimes he was at the trial
lying down. His family was saying he's just simply too frail to stand trial. What do you
think about this one, Natan? I mean, is this... should this guy... does it still make sense
to try this guy? What do you think of the verdict? At a certain point, do... and his
mic will have to be on for this, it's, I think... what do you think?
Natan: Well, what I would say is that if this guy... if this guy was tried when he wasn't
demented, or when he wasn't too old to stand trial, then he would've already served out
whatever sentence he had, life in prison or death or whatever it would've been.
David: Well, his family is arguing that he was, and he was exonerated. But, of course,
he wasn't Ivan the Terrible, right, Louis? But he still was someone.
Natan: Right. I mean, the idea that he's too old to stand trial or too old to serve out
whatever sentence doesn't make sense to me, because if he had been tried earlier in his
life, then we would say it's OK because he is competent to stand trial, and he is aware
of what's going on. So the fact that he had that whole life to live and that he wasn't
tried until now to me isn't a good argument, because better now than after he's dead, I
mean...
David: What do you think of that, Louis? You still think it just didn't make sense to try
this guy?
Louis: No, I think the trial is fine. I'm happy with the verdict. I think anyone like
this should be tried. But I just don't see the point of actually locking him up.
David: I see.
Louis: Yeah.
David: All right. Well, I'm curious to get the audience's take on it, david@davidpakman.com,
let me know. I believe that he should have been tried, he has been found guilty, and
he should serve some kind of sentence in a situation that maybe is going to cater a little
bit more to his physical condition, but, you know, a lot of people would tell me that that's
being too kind, the guy doesn't deserve it.
Louis: I mean, the only other... the only other place he could go is some type of nursing
home or psychiatric ward, so I guess... is that good with you?
David: I think... it's a tough situation.
Louis: Yeah.
David: I think that it's a tough situation. But I believe that the trial was the right
thing to do.
Louis: Trial was good, definitely.
David: Make sure to like The David Pakman Show on Facebook, www.Facebook.com/DavidPakmanShow.
Let's take a break, we'll come back, we'll talk about Osama bin Laden's porn stash, wanting
to kill the president. We'll talk about the Koch brothers, also, buying some Florida state
professors.
Announcer: The David Pakman Show at www.DavidPakman.com.
Transcript provided by Alex Wickersham and www.Subscriptorium.com. For transcripts, translations,
captions, and subtitles, or for more information, visit www.Subscriptorium.com, or contact Alex
at subscriptorium@gmail.com.