Teen burns down school; forced to pay full cost of repair

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Well, I guess if you just ordered the prison guard to shoot the guy in the head before the trial starts, then sure.

The average cost of a capital case is $2.8 million. That's twice the cost of having a trial and imprisoning someone for life.

While on the subject, 112 people have been released from death row after being exonerated of their crimes in the past 20 years. 112 people that would have been killed for something they didn't do.

I wonder how much money has been spent on state-sponsored murder of US citizens, and I wonder how many of those people were innocent?
 
LUBOLD8431:
I dont think there is anything unfair about a judge who can consider extenuating circumstances when issuing punishment (thereby adjusting the level of such punishment). I do believe that required minimum sentencing is unfair and inaccurate...

For instance, a senior at a local high school where I am from sold ONE joint to a student. He was convicted, and sentenced to 2 and 1/2 years in prison. Minimum sentencing guidelines. Judge had no say in the outcome. That was unfair. This kid sold one joint in a school zone, and now he lost two and a half years of his life. A conviction is bad enough, jail time is just salt in the wounds. Locking people up for a certain amount of time does nothing for recidivism. If they want to reoffend, they will as soon as they get out.
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I thought you were all for more harsh sentencing? What should they have done, given the kid a good lashing?
 
jonnythan:
I thought you were all for more harsh sentencing?
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I never said that. What I did say that they should leave it up to the judge...

What should they have done, given the kid a good lashing?
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No, if I were the judge in the case, I would have looked at the FACTS (small amount of a Class D substance) of the case, and if I was allowed to, issued a punishment that fits the crime. Misdemeanor possesion, 45-60 days (IIRC)instead of 2 and 1/2 years...
 
jonnythan:
He'll never have a chance, ever.
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He'll have a tough time saving money for sure. So? I don't think they'll be taking his food or rent money but I'd rather he pay for the gym than me. I didn't burn it down.

jonnythan:
Why not just keep him in prison?
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He can't earn enough in there to pay for the gym.

Dang son. I'm a bleeding-heart, anti-gun, pro-choice liberal and I don't even have pity on this guy.
 
So anyway, let's get this straight.. selling illegal drugs to kids, a month or two.

Burning down an empty gym in the middle of the night while drunk off your a** and hurting no one but the insurance company.. life in prison.. or, at least, 12 years in prison and the rest of your life in millions of dollars of debt.

What's the spectrum in between? That's quite a jump
 
Yeah. Two things going on. One, the punishment for burglary and arson, (which I feel is too lenient)

Two, required minimum sentencing... (which I feel is unfair and often overboard)
 
Zippsy:
Dang son. I'm a bleeding-heart, anti-gun, pro-choice liberal and I don't even have pity on this guy.
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Funny. I'm a pro-second amendment, pro-life, anti-government pityless Libertarian, and I think this guy got reamed by a judge with an agenda.
 
jonnythan:
Well, I guess if you just ordered the prison guard to shoot the guy in the head before the trial starts, then sure.

The average cost of a capital case is $2.8 million. That's twice the cost of having a trial and imprisoning someone for life.

While on the subject, 112 people have been released from death row after being exonerated of their crimes in the past 20 years. 112 people that would have been killed for something they didn't do.

I wonder how much money has been spent on state-sponsored murder of US citizens, and I wonder how many of those people were innocent?
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I would suggest that if the local legal system hadn't been allowed to become so ludicrously complicated, not to mention loaded with poor precedents, that trial costs wouldn't be so high.

How many people have walked because of some absurd reason even when there was absolutely no doubt that they were guilty?

There are dozens if not hundreds of court cases where the judgement was completely out to lunch. Something like this wouldn't even make my top ten list.
 
jonnythan:
So anyway, let's get this straight.. selling illegal drugs to kids, a month or two.

Burning down an empty gym in the middle of the night while drunk off your a** and hurting no one but the insurance company.. life in prison.. or, at least, 12 years in prison and the rest of your life in millions of dollars of debt.

What's the spectrum in between? That's quite a jump
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One, minimum sentencing guidelines for selling a class D substance (less than half an ounce) in a school zone would be 2 and 1/2 years (misdemeanor) (IIRC). (No damage to property, and the person who bought it wanted it).

Two, Arson is a crime (FELONY) that damages property with willful neglect. They should get hard time (4-9 years) and have to pay restitution...

I see a clear difference between the two. Dont you???


I cant keep up with this thread...
 
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