I've noticed a disturbing trend in criminal defense lately - if a criminal has children, they're using the children as a reason why the criminal should be released from custody. And get a lighter sentence. Now, it seems to me that once upon a time, it was opposite. If you were a criminal, you got your children taken away from you, so you could no longer influence them with your bad behavior.
One would think that having children would be a very good reason to not commit crimes. One would further think that, even if you weren't concerned how your criminal activities would influence your children, you would care that committing crimes might get your children taken away.
Why does the opposite seem to be happening?
This post actually came about because a woman who was pulled over on suspicion of shoplifting tried to escape by dragging the officer down the road with her car. And her defense attorney put forth the idea that because she has 4 children, she should be let off. :blinkblink:
Makes absolutely no sense. Feel sorry for the kids without their mom because she did something to get herself locked up? More like feel sorry for kids with a mom like that. She obviously doesn't give a rat's ass about her kids or she wouldn't be risking her freedom - freedom she needs so she can be with those kids. She doesn't care about raising her children to be upstanding members of society. She only cares about what she can get without having to pay for it.
And before anyone suggests that maybe she was shoplifting to provide for her children, her car looked pretty nice and she seemed to be able to pay for an attorney to represent her because when she finally turned herself in, she had an attorney with her. Not a public defender, who would've been assigned after her arrest. If she couldn't afford clothes, how is she affording an attorney?
Oh, and her rap sheet was already littered with other crimes. Not an upstanding, mother of the year type. With a role model like that, those four kids will be joining her behind bars eventually. I know the foster care system has problems, but at least there, they might have a chance.
Of course, I'm the horrible one for suggesting that perhaps her children would be better served away from her.
Sometimes I wonder who the hell is running our criminal justice system when the defense for a woman like this is to trot her kids out and say she needs to be with them so let her free.
Jus' Sayin'.
Showing posts with label punishment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label punishment. Show all posts
Monday, November 11, 2019
Friday, August 9, 2019
Suspended Sentence? WTF?
Our local paper puts out a court report once a month that tells basically who was arrested for what and what the sentence was. It came out in yesterday's paper.
The headline read '9 Incarcerated for Felonies.'
But when I flipped through, there were way more than 9 cases listed. Deciding this bore further investigation, I read deeper. Drug charges... suspended sentence. Theft (burglary, shoplifting, car theft)... suspended sentence. DWI... suspended sentence. Child molestation... suspended sentence. Non-payment of child support... suspended sentence. Battery... suspended sentence. (BTW, across the board of crimes, several of these people were listed as repeat or persistent offenders.)
Of the nine cases that actually saw someone's ass behind bars, only two of them were new. The other seven were for people who had violated their previous suspended sentences, probation, or what have you. Basically, they got caught committing the crime again, and in such a way, a slap on the wrist wouldn't do it.
Naturally, I was all like WTF??? And Hubs was like "Who the hell is our judge?" (Brief googling netted me no names. Apparently, it's a secret.)
Now, I'd like to say this was an isolated and unusual month, but it isn't. This is about par for the court report around here. People commit crimes, they get a slap on the wrist and probation, and then they continue to commit crimes because there is no consequence to their behavior.
And we have a conservative sheriff here who has to be tearing his hair out because whoever the judge is keeps letting these motherfuckers back out onto the streets.
It's no wonder that I was told numerous times when we first moved here to be careful driving the roads because meth-heads are everywhere. Of course, they're everywhere - no one is stopping them from being everywhere.
I'm pretty sure it isn't just in this county. It's here and it's there. In the county, in the city, everywhere. No consequences. You committed a crime? Oh, well sorry to have bothered you. Here's a lollipop. Run along. Oh, if you don't mind, please don't do it again or we shall have to smack your little paddies once more.
What in the sam hill is wrong with our judicial system? Blerg!
Perhaps, if there were actual punishments for crimes, the punishments would deter people from committing the crimes. Cuz obviously this whole suspended sentence thing ain't workin'.
Jus' sayin'.
The headline read '9 Incarcerated for Felonies.'
But when I flipped through, there were way more than 9 cases listed. Deciding this bore further investigation, I read deeper. Drug charges... suspended sentence. Theft (burglary, shoplifting, car theft)... suspended sentence. DWI... suspended sentence. Child molestation... suspended sentence. Non-payment of child support... suspended sentence. Battery... suspended sentence. (BTW, across the board of crimes, several of these people were listed as repeat or persistent offenders.)
Of the nine cases that actually saw someone's ass behind bars, only two of them were new. The other seven were for people who had violated their previous suspended sentences, probation, or what have you. Basically, they got caught committing the crime again, and in such a way, a slap on the wrist wouldn't do it.
Naturally, I was all like WTF??? And Hubs was like "Who the hell is our judge?" (Brief googling netted me no names. Apparently, it's a secret.)
Now, I'd like to say this was an isolated and unusual month, but it isn't. This is about par for the court report around here. People commit crimes, they get a slap on the wrist and probation, and then they continue to commit crimes because there is no consequence to their behavior.
And we have a conservative sheriff here who has to be tearing his hair out because whoever the judge is keeps letting these motherfuckers back out onto the streets.
It's no wonder that I was told numerous times when we first moved here to be careful driving the roads because meth-heads are everywhere. Of course, they're everywhere - no one is stopping them from being everywhere.
I'm pretty sure it isn't just in this county. It's here and it's there. In the county, in the city, everywhere. No consequences. You committed a crime? Oh, well sorry to have bothered you. Here's a lollipop. Run along. Oh, if you don't mind, please don't do it again or we shall have to smack your little paddies once more.
What in the sam hill is wrong with our judicial system? Blerg!
Perhaps, if there were actual punishments for crimes, the punishments would deter people from committing the crimes. Cuz obviously this whole suspended sentence thing ain't workin'.
Jus' sayin'.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Crime and Punishment... Or Lack Thereof
I'm not really sure what's going on in the world lately. People are committing crimes and not being punished for them.
The guy who shot that gal in California but was found 'not guilty' because he said the gun went off - several times into a crowd - accidentally after he'd dropped it and picked it back up again. He was already a criminal, but hey...
The woman who passed out from being high on drugs and let her child freeze to death on her porch. No jail time.
The man who raped a 12-year old girl while wearing his monitoring anklet, who - if he'd been punished in the first place - would have been in a cage instead of walking around where he could ruin some poor girl's life.
The numerous people who get off on 'not guilty by reason of disease or mental defect'. (Personally, I'd prefer they re-word that to 'guilty but insane' and then they still get punished.)
Plea deals that let murderers walk free after 5 years.
Bleeding hearts who go easy on offenders who then go commit more, and often worse, crimes once they're let go.
People who commit multiple crimes but are only charged with one, and then get off lightly.
:shudder:
Punishment. Crimes are supposed to include punishment. Not reform. Not help. Pun-ish-ment. It's supposed to be a deterrent. Think about what you've done so you are less likely to do it again. What deters a criminal if they are either never punished at all or are lightly punished for a heavy crime?
Jus' somethin' to think about this morning.
The guy who shot that gal in California but was found 'not guilty' because he said the gun went off - several times into a crowd - accidentally after he'd dropped it and picked it back up again. He was already a criminal, but hey...
The woman who passed out from being high on drugs and let her child freeze to death on her porch. No jail time.
The man who raped a 12-year old girl while wearing his monitoring anklet, who - if he'd been punished in the first place - would have been in a cage instead of walking around where he could ruin some poor girl's life.
The numerous people who get off on 'not guilty by reason of disease or mental defect'. (Personally, I'd prefer they re-word that to 'guilty but insane' and then they still get punished.)
Plea deals that let murderers walk free after 5 years.
Bleeding hearts who go easy on offenders who then go commit more, and often worse, crimes once they're let go.
People who commit multiple crimes but are only charged with one, and then get off lightly.
:shudder:
Punishment. Crimes are supposed to include punishment. Not reform. Not help. Pun-ish-ment. It's supposed to be a deterrent. Think about what you've done so you are less likely to do it again. What deters a criminal if they are either never punished at all or are lightly punished for a heavy crime?
Jus' somethin' to think about this morning.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Punishment and Crime
Yesterday, Hubs was reading me news stories about the crime that's sprung up in the wake of the hurricanes. Apparently, St. Martins/St. Maartens is like a freaking warzone after Irma. Parts of FL have turned into a free-for-all. Looting abounds.
Seriously? I mean, WTF is wrong with people? Find an instance where people are beaten and battered and hit them again? Kick them when they're down? That's pretty low. And I find myself longing for the good old days when 'looters will be shot on sight' was a thing.
I'm sure that was a major deterrent and kept many borderline criminals from committing that particular crime. Unless you're profoundly stupid, getting shot for looting would stop you from looting. Wouldn't it?
Nowadays, though, punishment is less deterring. Looters will be arrested, spend a night in jail while awaiting bail, then be out again to loot some more. It just doesn't have the same ring it to, does it? Maybe, perhaps, down the road a piece, they'll spend some more nights in jail. Big deal. They get three hots and a cot in jail, TV, free education, etc., plus everything they can smuggle or barter or steal. Sure, they lose their freedom for a while, but they don't seem to really give a shit about it. They'll be out - sooner than expected with parole and junk - and then they can go back to their criminal enterprises.
Punishment for crime was also supposed to be about justice for the victim. I'm not really feeling the justice - especially when I watch shows like The First 48 and see guys getting 8, 10, 12 years for murder. Of which you know they'll only actually serve 50% if we're lucky. How is that justice? Someone is dead and the person that made them dead gets a light sentence. Ugh.
Meanwhile, our jails/prisons are full. And I hear people saying THAT's the reason why people get off so easily - because there isn't room for them in prison. Umm... yah. If prison was the deterrent it was supposed to be, there would be fewer people going to prison. Although, it might be too late for that now. It makes me crazy.
So, yeah, I'm in the 'looters should be shot' camp. I'd bet that after you popped the first few, the next group thinking about looting would think twice.
Seriously? I mean, WTF is wrong with people? Find an instance where people are beaten and battered and hit them again? Kick them when they're down? That's pretty low. And I find myself longing for the good old days when 'looters will be shot on sight' was a thing.
I'm sure that was a major deterrent and kept many borderline criminals from committing that particular crime. Unless you're profoundly stupid, getting shot for looting would stop you from looting. Wouldn't it?
Nowadays, though, punishment is less deterring. Looters will be arrested, spend a night in jail while awaiting bail, then be out again to loot some more. It just doesn't have the same ring it to, does it? Maybe, perhaps, down the road a piece, they'll spend some more nights in jail. Big deal. They get three hots and a cot in jail, TV, free education, etc., plus everything they can smuggle or barter or steal. Sure, they lose their freedom for a while, but they don't seem to really give a shit about it. They'll be out - sooner than expected with parole and junk - and then they can go back to their criminal enterprises.
Punishment for crime was also supposed to be about justice for the victim. I'm not really feeling the justice - especially when I watch shows like The First 48 and see guys getting 8, 10, 12 years for murder. Of which you know they'll only actually serve 50% if we're lucky. How is that justice? Someone is dead and the person that made them dead gets a light sentence. Ugh.
Meanwhile, our jails/prisons are full. And I hear people saying THAT's the reason why people get off so easily - because there isn't room for them in prison. Umm... yah. If prison was the deterrent it was supposed to be, there would be fewer people going to prison. Although, it might be too late for that now. It makes me crazy.
So, yeah, I'm in the 'looters should be shot' camp. I'd bet that after you popped the first few, the next group thinking about looting would think twice.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Crime and Punishment in the News
I'm trying something new and building this post throughout the week rather than all at once on Friday morning. Less scrambling around trying to remember what news stories I saw. Here are the ones I thought you might find interesting.
Federal judge throws out sentencing for DC sniper because the dude was a 'minor' at the time of the crimes. 10 people dead, but hey, he was 17 so he didn't really mean it. http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/27/federal-judge-throws-out-convicted-d-c-snipers-four-life-sentences/
Woman in NYC gets slashed in the face by a crazy person because she didn't want to sit with her baby next to the bitch. When they finally caught the attacker, they found she'd already been arrested 60 times. Umm... WTF? http://nypost.com/2017/05/28/woman-slashed-on-subway-platform-at-grand-central/
Meanwhile in Chicago, a dude going about his business as an Uber driver, trying to make a living, gets hacked to death in a random incident by a 16 year old girl who stole the weapons she used to kill him. This article calls it a spontaneous attack. Not really sure about that since she stole the knife and the machete, called for an Uber pick-up, and then started stabbing the guy right after she got into his car. That shit sounds planned to me. Sorta like she said to herself that morning 'today I'm gonna stab the shit out of some unsuspecting Uber driver' and whichever one picked her up was the one that got it. http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/crime/257826860-story
In Philadelphia, someone stabbed a city councilman. It seems like they're making the assumption that it was a robbery gone bad, but my bullshit senses are tingling. Random robbery in a residential area where there's typically little foot traffic? Umm, ri-ight. http://www.fox29.com/news/258191304-story
Sorry there isn't as much punishment as crime this week. That's sometimes the way of things, I guess.
Federal judge throws out sentencing for DC sniper because the dude was a 'minor' at the time of the crimes. 10 people dead, but hey, he was 17 so he didn't really mean it. http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/27/federal-judge-throws-out-convicted-d-c-snipers-four-life-sentences/
Woman in NYC gets slashed in the face by a crazy person because she didn't want to sit with her baby next to the bitch. When they finally caught the attacker, they found she'd already been arrested 60 times. Umm... WTF? http://nypost.com/2017/05/28/woman-slashed-on-subway-platform-at-grand-central/
Meanwhile in Chicago, a dude going about his business as an Uber driver, trying to make a living, gets hacked to death in a random incident by a 16 year old girl who stole the weapons she used to kill him. This article calls it a spontaneous attack. Not really sure about that since she stole the knife and the machete, called for an Uber pick-up, and then started stabbing the guy right after she got into his car. That shit sounds planned to me. Sorta like she said to herself that morning 'today I'm gonna stab the shit out of some unsuspecting Uber driver' and whichever one picked her up was the one that got it. http://www.fox32chicago.com/news/crime/257826860-story
In Philadelphia, someone stabbed a city councilman. It seems like they're making the assumption that it was a robbery gone bad, but my bullshit senses are tingling. Random robbery in a residential area where there's typically little foot traffic? Umm, ri-ight. http://www.fox29.com/news/258191304-story
Sorry there isn't as much punishment as crime this week. That's sometimes the way of things, I guess.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Crime and Punishment in the News
In recent crime and punishment news*...
Alabama executed the supposed 'Houdini of Death Row' (because he'd managed to wiggle his way out of 7 other execution dates): http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/05/live_updates_alabama_death_row.html
Kuwaiti officials apprehend pigeon carrying backpack full of drugs: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40042260
Then there's the 8-yr old car thief: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2017/05/16/police-8-year-old-arrested-palm-bay-car-burglary-case/101740458/
And the other little hoodlums in the same town: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2017/05/17/more-youth-arrested-palm-bay-car-theft/101784600/
And these assholes who killed a little boy after they stole the car he was asleep inside: http://ktla.com/2017/05/18/3-mississippi-teenagers-arrested-for-allegedly-killing-6-year-old-boy-after-stealing-car-he-was-left-in/
In happier news, here's a Chicago cabbie who rescued a little girl in the same situation as above: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-girl-unharmed-after-north-side-car-theft-20170518-story.html
And the feds are finally getting tough on crime again. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sessions-directs-federal-prosecutors-to-seek-max-punishment-for-crimes/article/2622895
* You may notice a major omission in the crime news from this week. I prefer not to touch on the horrific crimes in Manchester at this time. It will lead to ranting and arm-waving and a rise in blood pressure, and I'm not in the mood.
Alabama executed the supposed 'Houdini of Death Row' (because he'd managed to wiggle his way out of 7 other execution dates): http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/05/live_updates_alabama_death_row.html
Kuwaiti officials apprehend pigeon carrying backpack full of drugs: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40042260
Then there's the 8-yr old car thief: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2017/05/16/police-8-year-old-arrested-palm-bay-car-burglary-case/101740458/
And the other little hoodlums in the same town: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2017/05/17/more-youth-arrested-palm-bay-car-theft/101784600/
And these assholes who killed a little boy after they stole the car he was asleep inside: http://ktla.com/2017/05/18/3-mississippi-teenagers-arrested-for-allegedly-killing-6-year-old-boy-after-stealing-car-he-was-left-in/
In happier news, here's a Chicago cabbie who rescued a little girl in the same situation as above: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-girl-unharmed-after-north-side-car-theft-20170518-story.html
And the feds are finally getting tough on crime again. http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sessions-directs-federal-prosecutors-to-seek-max-punishment-for-crimes/article/2622895
* You may notice a major omission in the crime news from this week. I prefer not to touch on the horrific crimes in Manchester at this time. It will lead to ranting and arm-waving and a rise in blood pressure, and I'm not in the mood.
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
For What It's Worth
I was reading a news story this morning about the suspect in a triple homicide jumping off the 4th floor of the court building to his death. They're thinking it might be suicide. I'm thinking it's probably a cause for the victims' families to celebrate. And a load off the taxpayers who would have to foot the bill for the trial and incarceration of this asshole*.
I was watching Homicide Hunter a while back. The dude obviously did it, but at the end, he got off. (One of the rare occasions when one of Joe's cases did end in a guilty verdict.) Don't remember how. Probably something to do with liberal Colorado. All I know was I was pissed off. Until... as a footnote at the end of the show, they told how the suspect had moved to New York City after the trial and months later someone pushed him out a 10th story window to his death. Woohoo. Splat. And that made me happy.
I'm not bloodthirtsy, per se. I just believe in justice.
And another thing... What is it with these assholes who are suicidal, so they kill their entire families before they kill themselves?? Seriously. If you want to die, do so and decrease the asshole population. Don't take out other people. I even heard about one heinous asshole who shot his dog before he killed himself. Dude, what did the dog do to deserve that shit? Sick freaks.
Then we were watching Murder Calls the other day. A serial killer in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area was murdering women and then calling in to the police. He'd call and ask to be caught. He'd say he wanted to die. All in this whiny voice. They called him The Weepy Voiced Killer. (Lame, right?) Anyway, he would always hang up without giving any indication where he was or how to find him. Asshole. They did eventually get the squirrelly little fucker, but not before he killed several women. No clue why. Something about them wearing red. No clue. He got 40 years - again, I assume because of liberal Minnesota or some such crap. He died in prison in 1998, but if cancer hadn't gotten him, he would've been a free man in six years. Think he would've been reformed? Umm, right. He would've been old, but old people aren't incapable of murder.
What do you think?
*Provided he actually did it, of course. If not, there's a murderer still running around out there.
I was watching Homicide Hunter a while back. The dude obviously did it, but at the end, he got off. (One of the rare occasions when one of Joe's cases did end in a guilty verdict.) Don't remember how. Probably something to do with liberal Colorado. All I know was I was pissed off. Until... as a footnote at the end of the show, they told how the suspect had moved to New York City after the trial and months later someone pushed him out a 10th story window to his death. Woohoo. Splat. And that made me happy.
I'm not bloodthirtsy, per se. I just believe in justice.
And another thing... What is it with these assholes who are suicidal, so they kill their entire families before they kill themselves?? Seriously. If you want to die, do so and decrease the asshole population. Don't take out other people. I even heard about one heinous asshole who shot his dog before he killed himself. Dude, what did the dog do to deserve that shit? Sick freaks.
Then we were watching Murder Calls the other day. A serial killer in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area was murdering women and then calling in to the police. He'd call and ask to be caught. He'd say he wanted to die. All in this whiny voice. They called him The Weepy Voiced Killer. (Lame, right?) Anyway, he would always hang up without giving any indication where he was or how to find him. Asshole. They did eventually get the squirrelly little fucker, but not before he killed several women. No clue why. Something about them wearing red. No clue. He got 40 years - again, I assume because of liberal Minnesota or some such crap. He died in prison in 1998, but if cancer hadn't gotten him, he would've been a free man in six years. Think he would've been reformed? Umm, right. He would've been old, but old people aren't incapable of murder.
What do you think?
*Provided he actually did it, of course. If not, there's a murderer still running around out there.
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