January 21, 2003
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Following a strong letter from Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, a Connecticut judge today ruled that Douglas Simmons must perform his probation in Connecticut, denying Simmons relocation to Michigan. Simmons, who was convicted of killing a 6 year-old child in Connecticut in 1982, wanted to relocate to Grand Rapids to live with his mother, who resides within close proximity to several schools. Granholm sent a letter to the State’s Attorney of Connecticut prior to today’s hearing saying the State of Michigan would not accept supervision of Simmons when he is released on probation.
“The facts of the case suggest that Mr. Simmons is a serious predator who will likely commit similar crimes if released,” Granholm said. “I am deeply concerned that the sentence he received in Connecticut is seriously disproportionate to that which a Michigan resident would have received for the same crime. I am calling on the State’s Attorney in Connecticut to impose additional prison time on Mr. Simmons so he is not immediately released and allowed to return to our state.”
As a former federal prosecutor and Attorney General of Michigan, my viewpoint is that Mr. Simmons is a continuing threat to the families of Grand Rapids,” Granholm said. “For that reason and the issues surrounding the interstate compact, Michigan will decline acceptance of supervision for Mr. Simmons.”
Granholm consulted with Attorney General Mike Cox and Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth on the case before issuing the letter to Connecticut authorities. They agree that the terms of an interstate compact governing the supervision of parolees and probationers do not apply in this case because Mr. Simmons has not demonstrated that he is seeking employment in Michigan and because the crime he committed is not governed by the same standards in Michigan.
Simmons was convicted in 1982 of murdering a 6 year-old girl whom he lured into his apartment. He subsequently revealed that he also sexually assaulted her and concealed her body in a sewer. He was sentenced to 36 years in prison, plus five years probation. Granholm pointed out that if Simmons committed the same crime in Michigan, he would have been sentenced to life without parole.
In a letter to Kevin T. Kane, State’s Attorney in Connecticut, Granholm said, “Our state sentencing structure recognizes the continuing threat such a predator poses and would under no circumstances subject any community to the possibility that such a defendant would ever commit a similar crime.
