Is there really anyone left in America who believes there is such a thing as equal justice? Original Article 'Fortunate Son' winning out over unfortunate victims Apr. 4, 2006 12:00 AM It's a sweetheart deal for the assault suspect. And when the father of the accused is president of the Arizona Senate, people can't help but wonder if the old man pulled some strings to get junior a break. To which I'd say: I certainly hope so. State Sen. Ken Bennett's 18-year-old son, Clifton, along with 19-year-old Kyle Wheeler have admitted to forcing broomsticks and flashlights into the rectums of 18 boys (through their clothing) during a youth camp last summer. The two young men said that it was part of a hazing ritual. The Yavapai County prosecutor's office has decided that the attacks are not sexual assaults, and has dropped 35 of 36 original charges against Clifton Bennett, producing one of the sweetheart deals of our relatively new century. Wheeler's case was reduced to two charges. Since a story about the agreement was published in Sunday's Arizona Republic, my voice mail has been jammed with people who want me and others to "go after" Bennett, whom they presume to have used his power to grease the skids for his son. Sorry. I have no idea if Bennett did anything behind the scenes to try to help his boy out of a jam. But if he did, I wouldn't knock him. When you're the dad, it's your job to do what you can for your kid. When you're the prosecutor, it's your job to do what you can for the victims, no matter whose dad gets in the way. The person who's supposed to be looking out for the 18 victims in this case is Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk. She hasn't had much to say about the case so far. On her Web site, however, Polk claims that her office "vigorously prosecutes crime throughout Yavapai County" and "protects the rights of victims." The parents of the boys who were abused by Clifton Bennett and Wheeler might disagree. The victims were between 11 and 14 years old. A number of them supposedly have had physical and psychological trouble since the assaults. And yet under an agreement with prosecutors, Clifton Bennett may escape any real jail time and wind up with no record for sexual assault. "If this were just some average Joe's kid, they'd be throwing the book at him," said one caller on my voice mail. Well, duh. Is there really anyone left in America who believes there is such a thing as equal justice? Anyone who doesn't believe that the wealthy and influential among us have a much better chance of making it through the legal system unscathed than the poor and powerless? If not, take as yet another lesson the case of these two fortunate assailants and their 18 unfortunate victims. Lawyers for Clifton Bennett said that he was an honor student and active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They said that he had plans to go on a mission in September. In a letter to the court they actually wrote, "A felony conviction for assault will make his desire to complete his mission impossible." Again, some of you might find it shocking that a "felony conviction" could make such a thing impossible but that having assaulted 18 boys would not. Even those who don't follow the justice system should know what's going on here. If not, tune in to your local classic rock station. It's all explained clearly and succinctly in Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1970 song Fortunate Son, with a chorus that goes, "It ain't me, it ain't me/ I ain't no senator's son,/ It ain't me, it ain't me,/ I ain't no fortunate one." Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8978. Read his blog at montiniblog.azcentral.com.