Man gets 17 months in jail for stealing a soda :/
By shywolf
@shywolf (4514)
United States
February 24, 2007 2:47pm CST
I think that it's sad that a man just recently got 17 months jail time for stealing a soda (this man also was homeless and known to be mentally ill) while it seems like criminals with much harsher crimes are going free, or getting off with nothing less than house arrests, or are doing only a month or two of jail time. What do you think about this? (What's worse is that the judge, his psychiatrist and other officals all believed that he had been released over a year ago!)
You can read the full story here, if you like!:
http://www.davesdaily.com/out.php?id=24971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.yahoo.com%2Fs%2Fap%2F20070224%2Fap_on_fe_st%2Flost_in_jail%3B_ylt%3DAuKl4Y9uXBMJzKIexyBX.UMsQE4F
14 people like this
60 responses
@davis123 (507)
• United States
25 Feb 07
thats sadwhy are they gonna do that to him all he did was stealing a little soda om goodness and he was mentally ill and home less they could of least let him spend a couple of days in jail but 17 month that almost a year and a half o w sad i feel bad for him
2 people like this
@Weskom (25)
• United States
25 Feb 07
Isn't that just like the law? They are so caught up in their own red tape, they lose perspective of what is right under their noses. It's not just the law enforcement either. This mans doctor should have been on-the-ball to track his patient. The Judge is probably so backed up he can't back trace the case to see what's going on. You know, it's more than likely that this is not isolated to the U.S., but occurs in many other countries also.
2 people like this
@weemam (13372)
•
24 Feb 07
this world is going mad people in Britain are getting of with assault and rape because the prisons are "too full" have you ever heard such c**p , the world has gone mad and I don't think I want to be here in another 50 years to see what will be happening then xx
2 people like this
@Mamaof2 (574)
• Canada
25 Feb 07
I think that they need to forget about the soda that was stolen and get this poor man some help. Get him a place to stay, some food ect. 17 months in jail for this...come on. I know there is no excuse for stealing...but I think that this was just a cry for help in some sort of way. He is homeless and mentally ill...I believe there are bigger underlying issues...forget about the darn pop!
2 people like this
@coolcatzz (1587)
• Canada
24 Feb 07
Yes I know what you mean. Some things just don't make sense. I see
that happen so much here in Canada. One criminal will get a sentence
that is totally unreasonable and the next guy gets off the hook. We
had a case in January where this guy just started shooting people
downtown. He ended up shooting 4 people I think. Anyways they had
his hearing and let him out on bail. I'm sure you can guess what
happened. He took off never to be seen again. The guy is still on
the loose. I just don't get it sometimes.
@samraf (725)
• India
25 Feb 07
well i think there should be punishment for every bad act or curel act or you can say that eveyr action has to be emerge any reaction.
well i dont care if he was been sent to jail or not i only care was he been punished according to his act or not.
wasnt you think that it is to much of punishment just to steal a soda?.
what do you say ?
Regards,
Sam
2 people like this
@dizzybizzy1 (978)
• United States
25 Feb 07
I know it seems sad, but there is a lot you have to consider when it comes to a judges decision.
Has this person been in and out of trouble with the law?
Has this person done jail time before but didnt learn his lesson?
Is this person a strain on society?
Is this person able to be reabilitated.
It may seem like a small charge to steal a soda but what kind of criminal record does this person have?
A judge isn't going to waste tax payers money by sending someone to jail who shouldnt be there. I'm sure the judge had a good reason to make his judgement so harsh to this person.
1 person likes this
@thatcrazyqbanita (3312)
• United States
25 Feb 07
This is simply ridiculous. It was so upset while I read this. I completely agree with you, I think it's so unfair that while some people commit higher crimes such as rape and murder and don't get penalized for it, while a poor homeless man gets punished for something as ridiculous as stealing a coke, and lets say he was not mentally ill, he commited the crime when he was compeltely sane, who the hell cares, its no big deal. there was no harm done. i believe in the robin hood philosophy steal from the rich and give to the poor.
1 person likes this
@linda345 (2661)
• Canada
26 Feb 07
I can't believe something like this has happened. My ex husband when they were young lived with their father who was an acholocic. Alot of times there was no food in the house. They would do things to end up in jail to end up with a warm bed and food. Some like this needs to be in a physchiastic hospital not a jail.
1 person likes this
@jennifer611 (2514)
• United States
25 Feb 07
I think that is pretty harsh but then again, if he was homeless maybe it was a good thing for him..
being in jail gave him a roof over his head and food in his belly. maybe he couldnt come and go as he pleased but atleast he is safe.
if he was homeless he might just be thankful for this..
but it is too bad they had to lock him up like that. I think it would be great if they would just offer him some assistance and get him the help he needs..
1 person likes this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
24 Feb 07
oh my, our legal system is messed up big time. What is up with this. This man needs a roof over his head, food and water to supply his needs and someone to be nice to him. Instead he gets punished for being homeless and hungry and thirsty. Where is the justice in that. People who murder, rape and harm kids are set free to do the act again. I really do not understand!
1 person likes this
@bsidemyself (160)
• United States
25 Feb 07
What makes this mature adult content?
1 person likes this
@freezingfev (815)
•
24 Feb 07
gosh...this totally proves..people have absolutely no sense left...atleast the one in power...!!!
i mean ...isnt it a bit too harsh putting him behind bars for 17 whole months...just for stealing a soda??!! i dont know wat has happend to the justice system of the world...worse...what has happened to the people?? dont they have any compassion left??!!
1 person likes this
@rienglass (248)
• Singapore
25 Feb 07
i totally agree with you ms freezingfev.17 mths is indeed to harsh for just a soda.it could be that this guy is a kleptomaniac.so 17 months...too harsh for me.i believe corrective works will be better..
1 person likes this
@Macthedj (630)
•
25 Feb 07
I dont know if you read the discussion earlier that was posted, it stated that a man as a punishment for molesting a child he was to be confined to his own home. The judge felt it was in his best interest as he would have had a hard time in jail. I responded by saying that the justice system needs a shake up with regards to sentences that are past out. Your discussion is just another example of the punishment definetely not fitting the crime. It is an absolute farce.
@bigmanqqq (89)
•
25 Feb 07
the justice system really does need a rework, its not good at all at the moment! We jail people who steal sodas and let pedophiles roam the streets?!
1 person likes this
@juliocstryfe (2019)
• Brazil
25 Feb 07
Ugh..
He should have just been given out community service, like helping out in an orphanage, thats it.
-JCM-
1 person likes this
@jolanda33 (720)
• Netherlands
25 Feb 07
well if you red the story you see they made a mistake! he wasn't supposed to be in jail anymore!
it is realy sad that these mistakes happends, i mean this man is mentally ill so he can not defend himself the right way! the system is not working all the time, that is for sure! we have another system here, without a jury! only the judge decides the punishmend, the macximum years to jail is about lifelong and that means 30 years max!
1 person likes this
@bananamanuk (835)
•
25 Feb 07
There seems to be so much inconsistency with the sentencing of people for all manner of crimes, I suppose one could argue that viewing the case from the outside in means that we are not in full posession of the facts as laid out in the courtroom, however it strikes me as particularly troublesome in this instance that rather than helping someone to overcome a mental illness, the judge and prosecuters felt he would be better locked up.
1 person likes this
@gramskaren (661)
• United States
25 Feb 07
You are so right some people get alot more than they deserve and others get nothing for something totally worse than others. System just is not right.
1 person likes this
@lilxlissa (10)
•
25 Feb 07
u think thats really wrong they should have just charged him for the soda he stole but if he was homeless he proberly didn't have amy money and because you say he was mentally ill he proberly didn't know he was doing anything wrong!
1 person likes this
@amoamigoan (1)
• United Arab Emirates
25 Feb 07
I think the justice system is going from bad to worse.they do not understand the difference between stealing of soda and comitting a rape. He is homeless person wat else can u expect from him and he should have been in the hospital maximum not in jail.
1 person likes this
