Giants Fan in Coma After Beating in Dodgers Stadium Parking Lot
LEMON: Time now to talk some "Issues" with none other than Jane Velez-Mitchell. She hosts a show of that name on our sister network, HLN. This week, Jane's been showing her outrage over the release of this Utah man, Loni Johnson. Our affiliate, KTVX, reports he's escaping prosecution on child sex assault charges because of a legal technicality. Can you believe it?</s>JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CONTRIBUTOR, ISSUES: It is absolutely insane. It's happening in Utah. This guy, who was convicted of raping a teenage girl, is now accused of 21 sex-related crimes involving children, is being let go because of a loophole. Apparently, he's incompetent to stand trial because of some mystery cognitive disorder. Nobody can tell us exactly what that is. By the same token, shrinks have decided he's not a danger to society so they can't keep him many a mental ward. So he is apparently free to go. People are up in arms over this, particularly the mother of one of the victims. Listen to her.</s>CHRISTY DANNER, MOTHER OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM: So we just wait for more victims and he uses the same loophole? Is that what we're being told? How many victims do we need before we close this loophole?</s>LEMON: Jane, you know, I was thinking the same thing the mom said there. Because usually when someone has this sort of behavior, they'll say you usually can't fix that sort of behavior.</s>VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. It's very hard to rehabilitate somebody who wants to have sex with children. And he is convicted of having sex with a 17-year-old girl. Nevertheless, they've decided he's not a danger to society, even though he's facing a slew of sex-related counts involving children. And apparently, the problem is that a danger to society is defined as physically injuring someone. So apparently, you can destroy a child's life emotionally but, as long as you don't leave a bruise, you're not a danger to society. That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.</s>LEMON: Oh, boy. Let's go on and talk about, when will people realize that it's just sports, it's just sports. This Giants fan beaten at the Dodgers' season opener, this guy, 41 years old, never had a fight in his life. Now he is fighting for his life.</s>VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is absolutely obscene. And this is a strapping guy, so you can imagine what must have happened to him in the parking lot of Dodgers Stadium to leave this poor man in a coma. And what really upsets me is that apparently at least a hundred people watched this. It was in the parking lot of Dodgers Stadium after a game. And nobody came to his aid? And they don't even have a video of this attack, even though it happened in the parking lot? This is really a breakdown. They are searching for these thugs who beat this father, this paramedic, this nice guy into a coma, all because he's a Giants fan and he had the nerve to show up at Dodgers Stadium? This is insanity to me, Don. I can't believe we've let America's favorite pastime devolve into something that looks more like professional wrestling.</s>LEMON: You can tell he comes from a good family because his family is thanking everyone for the outpouring of support they've received nationwide for this obviously just brutal attack that didn't need to happen. Let's talk now about parental responsibility here, Jane. We hear so much about that. 17-year-old, involved in an accident, a teenager, now the parents are going to have to pay for the injuries, even though the 17-year-old was driving without their knowledge, driving their parents' car.</s>VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And this is really a wake-up call to parents everywhere. Watch your kids.</s>LEMON: Right.</s>VELEZ-MITCHELL: Because if they're old enough to get behind a wheel and take off, and they do some horrific damage, which is exactly what happened in this case, it's on you, mom and dad. And so it really is a wake-up call to parents out there.</s>LEMON: Watch "Issues" with Jane Velez-Mitchell every weekend night, 7:00 p.m. eastern on HLN.