56-year-old man gets life for stealing $900 of cigarettes

or could become shria law not sure what worse life in jail or lop off a hand..men/women dying so barbaric laws are not enforced in civerlized countries
 
A life sentence for a $900 theft is harsh. However, the sentence wasn't just for that theft, it was for a third felony (still harsh but wanting to be accurate).

If there wasn't a three-strikes law and he got sentenced to a short term or community service, would that be the end of his criminal career? :dunno:

How many strikes should felons be entitled to?
 
Reba said:
A life sentence for a $900 theft is harsh. However, the sentence wasn't just for that theft, it was for a third felony (still harsh but wanting to be accurate).

If there wasn't a three-strikes law and he got sentenced to a short term or community service, would that be the end of his criminal career? :dunno:

How many strikes should felons be entitled to?
Click to expand...
Three! It's ridiculous to let those repeated criminals roaming free. Who want them on the streets? Not me!
 
I don't think stealing under $1k is felony, its misdemeanor, I think he intended to steal less than a thousand so that it won't be his third felony charge.

Reba said:
A life sentence for a $900 theft is harsh. However, the sentence wasn't just for that theft, it was for a third felony (still harsh but wanting to be accurate).

If there wasn't a three-strikes law and he got sentenced to a short term or community service, would that be the end of his criminal career? :dunno:

How many strikes should felons be entitled to?
Click to expand...
 
diehardbiker said:
I don't think stealing under $1k is felony, its misdemeanor, I think he intended to steal less than a thousand so that it won't be his third felony charge.
Click to expand...
http://www.courts.ca.gov/20142.htm

the requirements for sentencing a defendant as a third strike offender were changed to 25 years to life by requiring the new felony to be a serious or violent felony with two or more prior strikes to qualify for the 25 year-to-life sentence as a third strike offender;
Click to expand...

Looks like you are correct, however he's being sentenced under SC three-strikes law, not CA's law. Oh well...
 
I read about chap got life sentence for pinching toilet paper it was his third and he got life..could be argument as to what would happen if he not nick it..
 
I was in jury duty for charges as grand larceny, that's how I know how much of value that gets felony kicked in. Stealing candy bar from check out lane at supermarket or whatever is really a petty larceny, here its just class D misdemeanor, one gets slapped on their wrist for this offense.
Other one for drunk driving with no insurance, bald tires, expired registration sticker, expired inspection sticker, and so on. Unreal!

Seriously, The jury foreman explained that DNA is not always reliable, depends on cases, it does not always mean one is there if DNA is found there. That is why I was hesitates about pizza crust with DNA on it in other thread, one evidence that is pizza crust with DNA is not enough, if DNA is everywhere even on tangible properties (Meaning properties not easily removable like water pipe in the house that contains DNA) then it is even stronger evidence. I learn a bunch when I was in Jury duty.

Bottom line, I think this case (third strike, ur out) is poorly written and should be reserved for crimes that includes violent behavior. This case, with third offense without any violence could get triple sentence rather than lifetime in prison which is more justified. Likely for first offense it would be 2 years, 4 years for second offense, and third offense... 12 years.
 
my husband did jury service and one of the cases was taxi driver who thought he was getting 80pence tip but he was had for theft,his licence taken away and big fine another stole half a newspaper he also got big fine and now crime record..i met man who nicked tomato he was deaf and thought they free samples as non English had to find terps lawyers he now got crime record....thousands spent in court time police time etc.Yet guy near me run two sister over and killed them drunk driver his punishment was two year ban on driving bc he apparently showed remorse..The law is unfair mystery
 
rockin'robin said:
Is Arson "petty"?...looking at his Rap Sheet...it's over 30 years, not 20 years of repeating crimes.....this guy cannot be rehabilitated...
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However, you have to look at the bottom line. With all the people who are being put away for life for third strike violations can we afford to keep building more prisons to house them? Perhaps if we gave them harsh community service penalties of at least 1,000 hours where they were working to make the community better they may decide that their life of crime isn't cutting it.
 
plus wear jacket saying you offender...If he paid tax would he still been arrested
 
Reba said:
A life sentence for a $900 theft is harsh. However, the sentence wasn't just for that theft, it was for a third felony (still harsh but wanting to be accurate).

If there wasn't a three-strikes law and he got sentenced to a short term or community service, would that be the end of his criminal career? :dunno:

How many strikes should felons be entitled to?
Click to expand...

0

I heard a local old timer the other day saying we need to bring back public hangings. That kids these days just have no respect.
 
seb said:
However, you have to look at the bottom line. With all the people who are being put away for life for third strike violations can we afford to keep building more prisons to house them? Perhaps if we gave them harsh community service penalties of at least 1,000 hours where they were working to make the community better they may decide that their life of crime isn't cutting it.
Click to expand...

Who's not to say "they might"?....What about these people that are incarnated for 10 years or more (rape/child molestation), then released...Parole Board feels they are not a risk to the public...and they go right back at it....Even murderers....
After 30 years of committing crimes, feel this Guy is not gonna change his stripes, regardless of community service. It's his way of Life...perhaps he likes it...
As far as what to do with criminals such as this?...I have no answer. But the Law is the Law, regardless....
As for the "bottom line"...look at the flip-side too. Someone breaks into your business and steals your merchandise....over and over...he gets Community Service every time he goes to Court....a "slap on the hand" if you may...Not gonna help people like this...he'll keep repeating until somebody gets really fed up and he might end up dead...So, actually, he's better off being locked up. He's 56...free room & board at our expense...but he's still breathing and not committing crimes outside of his cell....

I do feel that our Laws are too lienent regarding a lot of criminals...then again, some are harsh...feel the Judge that sentenced him was "fed up" with this guy in the Courtroom also...sort of like...."You Again, again, again and again"??
 
rockin'robin said:
Who's not to say "they might"?....What about these people that are incarnated for 10 years or more (rape/child molestation), then released...Parole Board feels they are not a risk to the public...and they go right back at it....Even murderers....
After 30 years of committing crimes, feel this Guy is not gonna change his stripes, regardless of community service. It's his way of Life...perhaps he likes it...
As far as what to do with criminals such as this?...I have no answer. But the Law is the Law, regardless....
As for the "bottom line"...look at the flip-side too. Someone breaks into your business and steals your merchandise....over and over...he gets Community Service every time he goes to Court....a "slap on the hand" if you may...Not gonna help people like this...he'll keep repeating until somebody gets really fed up and he might end up dead...So, actually, he's better off being locked up. He's 56...free room & board at our expense...but he's still breathing and not committing crimes outside of his cell....

I do feel that our Laws are too lienent regarding a lot of criminals...then again, some are harsh...feel the Judge that sentenced him was "fed up" with this guy in the Courtroom also...sort of like...."You Again, again, again and again"??
Click to expand...

As to rapist and murderers I would only give them one strike; once they commit the crime they are in prison until they take their last breath.

The law is the law is not regardless: all you have to do is make a few word changes in the law and you no longer are sending people to prison forever for non violent crimes.

As to the habitual criminal: you don't put him back in prison for life, you put him to work doing community service and make sure he's too tired at the end of the day to think about anything other than going to sleep. I'm not talking about slapping their hand, I'm talking about thousands of hours of community service as well as paying restitution.

Three strikes laws account for 26% of all prisoners in the US today so that means that 589,368 people are in prison for life at a cost to the US taxpayer of $27,700,296,000 using an average of $47,000 per year to incarcerate them.
 
seb said:
Three strikes laws account for 26% of all prisoners in the US today so that means that 589,368 people are in prison for life at a cost to the US taxpayer of $27,700,296,000 using an average of $47,000 per year to incarcerate them.
Click to expand...

Now you see, each inmate that government paid each year is whopping 47 thousands dollars a year WHILE most of us on SSI/SSDI getting only 7,500 dollars a year... These three strike inmate won more money than we have with SSI/SSDI...

Now, making them work at least 60 hours a week as mandatory requirement for three strikes, I bet you my ass average of 26% will drop to maybe a couple percent.
 
rockin'robin said:
Who's not to say "they might"?....What about these people that are incarnated for 10 years or more (rape/child molestation), then released...Parole Board feels they are not a risk to the public...and they go right back at it....Even murderers....
After 30 years of committing crimes, feel this Guy is not gonna change his stripes, regardless of community service. It's his way of Life...perhaps he likes it...
As far as what to do with criminals such as this?...I have no answer. But the Law is the Law, regardless....
As for the "bottom line"...look at the flip-side too. Someone breaks into your business and steals your merchandise....over and over...he gets Community Service every time he goes to Court....a "slap on the hand" if you may...Not gonna help people like this...he'll keep repeating until somebody gets really fed up and he might end up dead...So, actually, he's better off being locked up. He's 56...free room & board at our expense...but he's still breathing and not committing crimes outside of his cell....

I do feel that our Laws are too lienent regarding a lot of criminals...then again, some are harsh...feel the Judge that sentenced him was "fed up" with this guy in the Courtroom also...sort of like...."You Again, again, again and again"??
Click to expand...

Murder and child molestation = life without parole or death

I believe that we need have mandatory supervision for all inmates released from prison and they require to have a job and contribute to society. That's much cheaper than locking them in prison and return to prison over again.

For drug offenses/addicts = they need receive mandatory treatment and community service, not prison.
 
seb said:
As to rapist and murderers I would only give them one strike; once they commit the crime they are in prison until they take their last breath.

The law is the law is not regardless: all you have to do is make a few word changes in the law and you no longer are sending people to prison forever for non violent crimes.

As to the habitual criminal: you don't put him back in prison for life, you put him to work doing community service and make sure he's too tired at the end of the day to think about anything other than going to sleep. I'm not talking about slapping their hand, I'm talking about thousands of hours of community service as well as paying restitution.

Three strikes laws account for 26% of all prisoners in the US today so that means that 589,368 people are in prison for life at a cost to the US taxpayer of $27,700,296,000 using an average of $47,000 per year to incarcerate them.
Click to expand...
Do you mean each of them costs the taxpayers $47k per year? That's a lot. How do you calculate that? How much for food for one person per year? How much for utilities (water, electric and gas) for one person? How much for labor (prison employees) for one person? And so on...
 
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