In a deeply unsettling development, a New York City man who confessed nearly 30 years ago to the murder of a New Jersey police officer is set to be released on parole. Chung Ho, now 80 years old, was granted parole for the fatal shooting of Lower Township Police Department Officer David Douglass on February 18, 1995.
David Gelman, a criminal defense attorney and former deputy district attorney, expressed his outrage over the decision, calling it “disgusting.” He stated, “It’s really disgusting. This was the first time that he applied, and he was accepted.” Gelman further emphasized the impact of this decision, saying, “It’s a total slap in the face to Officer Douglass’ family, other officers in the department and, frankly, police in general in New Jersey.”
The circumstances surrounding Ho’s release are particularly troubling. Gelman pointed out that the parole board’s decision sends a dangerous message to the law enforcement community. “If your life is taken away by a violent criminal and then the parole board sees it and says, you know what? It doesn’t matter that this happened over 30 years ago. It doesn’t matter that there is an individual whose life was taken for no reason whatsoever. But you know what? We think that the individual who committed this crime, they’ve changed enough,” he said. He added, “That is an absolutely terrible message and the family of Officer Douglass should 100% be upset and mad, which they are.”
The parole decision was made by a board consisting of 12 experts who interviewed various stakeholders, including the victim’s family and prison officials. Gelman explained, “In New Jersey, you have parole boards, and parole boards consist of 12 individuals who are experts in their fields.” He noted the unpredictability of parole outcomes, stating, “I’d say it’s 50/50 whether individuals get parole.”
However, he highlighted the rarity of such leniency in cases involving the murder of police officers. “When it comes to murders, parole is not often granted. In fact, I don’t think it has ever happened in the state of New Jersey that the officer’s killer has been granted parole at the first opportunity,” Gelman remarked. He added, “And frankly, there’s kind of an unwritten rule in New Jersey and probably a lot of other states as well, that officer killers usually don’t get parole, especially not the first time.”
Gelman criticized the broader trends in New Jersey’s justice system, which he believes have become increasingly lenient. “The New Jersey justice system has taken a dramatic turn over the last half decade or so. I’d say at least 90% are getting free and they’re not just petty crimes or drug crimes, these are individuals who commit violent offenses and are still getting out on the street in less than 24 hours,” he said. He concluded, “So it’s par for the course, if you look at it, for a parole board to take that same attitude for those who committed extremely violent offenses.”
The attorney also pointed to the influence of politics on the state’s criminal justice system. “The criminal justice system here in our state is completely flawed, and a lot of it has to do with the politics in New Jersey,” Gelman stated. He specifically criticized Governor Phil Murphy, saying, “Our governor, Governor Murphy, has really exasperated the criminal justice system and made it a lot easier for criminals to not only commit crimes, but to get very lenient sentences and to be get off pretty much scot-free.” He added, “Our crime in New Jersey has gone up substantially over the last half dozen years or so. And, you know, that is not a coincidence.”
As the Lower Township Police Department prepares to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Officer Douglass’s death on February 18, 2024, they issued a poignant reminder: “Let us not forget his efforts, let us not forget his name, and please let us not forget his family.”
