Ohio woman charged in theft of $2.87 from fountain

reply to post by stumason

I absolutely do not think picking up someones trash, because it's your treasure is theft in any shape or form. Perhaps technically some of the other examples (like the pen from work or making a personal photocopy) may be considered theft, but I know very few people (including my bosses) who would make even a hint of 'song and dance' about this.

I think there are shades of grey, and that this 'stealing from a fountain', is absolutely pathetic. It sets no example, except to make those charging her look like imbeciles. There are so many crimes of such enormous degrees of magnitude compared to this and I think people who are so worried about this should get some perspective (and a life).

I'm not religious, but I know that in some religions if one is hungry and unable to feed oneself and one's family except by stealing, that this is not considered either a sin, nor a crime. Islam may cut off the hands of a thief, but a starving person with no other means of getting food will not be punished.

reply to post by cuckooold


Regardless of what you (or I) think, the law is quite clear that stealing trash, or pinching a pen or picking up money on the street is theft. Although I would agree with you that taking a pen from work wouldn't even bother the boss or half-inching someone's rubbish is hardly a crime, technically it is.

Again, talking from a UK perspective, our Police have something called discretion, where they can deal with the "offence" in a manner they deem to be fit and proportional. Such a case here would not even involve an arrest, but more likely a talking too and some advice given. It is a major difference between UK and US Policing, your guys see it as "Law Enforcement", no matter what, whereas our guys are told to "keep the peace" and to act accordingly.

thisguyrighthere
reply to post by chiefsmom

 

Any time "taxpayers" is used you should read "state."

People are kicked out of taxpayer owned lands and properties all the time. People are refused use of taxpayer owned and funded areas all the time. Just look back over the past couple of weeks.

So "taxpayers" only means you and me to children and the hopelessly naive. In reality it simple means the state owns it and the state can do whatever the state wishes with it.

So every time some looney tune throws their property, their money, into one of these "taxpayer" owned fountains they are essentially saying "here, state, I love you so much have some more of my money."

Taking it up a notch what frightens me is the underlying meaning of the act. Why do people toss coins into fountains? To make a wish. No longer is that wish cast out into the ether. Now, by tossing that coin into a state owned fountain you are asking the state to grant that wish. The state has taken root in mystic parts of life. Embedded itself into lore and superstition.

Next time you see a fountain think about that. Children tossing coins asking the state to grant their wishes.

Dystopic nightmares are with us everyday and we hardly notice.

you forgot one very important detail though.....

The state is not the government, the state is the people.

this case is so idiotic, i wouldn't believe it, if the OP hadn't posted the article...

so because she took coins from a community fountain, they're gonna waste all kinds of money on putting this through the system? this is why municipalities, and cities have no money....they waste it on stupid s**t like this..

What happened to common sense such as "put the coins back in the fountain and don't let us see you doing this again". They might have added "there is a food bank at 5th and Elm, they might be able to help you".

What a world...

rickymouse
reply to post by Lady_Tuatha

 

I was throwing change in my yard so it would grow into the grass so my grandchildren could find something with the metal detector in the yard in a couple of years. This way they don't have to make deep holes when they dig. An old retired professor I know saw a quarter and picked it up. He said, boy there is a lot of money in your yard, I have walked around many times picking it up. I told him I was throwing it out for the reason I stated above and he looked at me strange. He never offered to throw some change back, not even the quarter he just picked up which he slipped in his pocket as I was telling him. I suppose the ten bucks worth of change I threw out in the yard is in his piggy bank.

He makes four grand a month on retirement and he is taking my change out of the yard. He still looks for it , I see him. I don't throw it in the front yard anymore, I can't get a reading with the metal detector of any change either, I guess he is pretty thorough at what he does. I also had spider lightning one night that vaporized a penny on the cement outside, leaving a dark circle around where the penny used to be. Maybe this lightning also hit other coins. So mother earth is also taking these coins. I can't win.

the solution to his intrusions are simple...

What's funny is that if that same woman found $5 worth of quarters on the sidewalks around the area it would be completely legal.

Lady_Tuatha
A woman has been charged with petty theft for taking $2.87 from a courthouse fountain.

Meanwhile: One rule for the little people and another set of rules for the elite

Justice is Bought, not served. She should have had a lawyer or set of accountants to buy her way out.
What, no money? Oh too bad.

truth-out.org...


The Wall Street Protection Racket: Pay the Government Fines and Bankers Don't Get Prosecuted

JPMorgan has shelled out about $11 billion in fines and spent around $16 billion in legal fees in the last few years. "This is just the cost of doing business for these mega banks."

There's the rub. Paying off regulators and settling criminal charges is only supposed to be the "cost of doing business" for criminals.

"The single greatest innovation of the banking sector has been to convince the Justice Department and Treasury that if you prosecute us for our crimes we'll send the economy back into the abyss." He thinks its "a bunch of hooey" but there's something holding the government back when it comes to pursuing an end game with the mega banks and it's obviously not an absence of violations.

There is no justice being served. All we have are huge payoffs, beaming AG's and Jamie Dimon trotting between his office and the Justice Department. It's all just theater serving to prove what Main Street has suspected all along: they're getting screwed by bankers and politicians.

30 Men despise not the thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry;
31 Yet if he be caught he must pay back sevenfold; all the wealth of his house he may yield up.

Proverbs 6

1Hear, therefore, kings, and understand;a learn, you magistrates* of the earth’s expanse!
2Give ear, you who have power over multitudes and lord it over throngs of peoples!
3Because authority was given you by the Lord and sovereignty by the Most High, who shall probe your works and scrutinize your counsels!b
4Because, though you were ministers of his kingdom, you did not judge rightly, and did not keep the law,* nor walk according to the will of God,
5Terribly and swiftly he shall come against you, because severe judgment awaits the exalted—
6For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test.
7For the Ruler of all shows no partiality, nor does he fear greatness,d Because he himself made the great as well as the small, and provides for all alike;
8but for those in power a rigorous scrutiny impends.

Wisdom 6

reply to post by stumason


Actually, yes the law is quite clear on this.

Once you have placed an item into the waste disposal container, you have legally relinquished all claims of ownership to it, and anyone may legally take it, and assert their rights as the new owner. This is why dumpster diving is legal in the UK. They can't even get you for trespass as trespass is a civil offence. This is why supermarkets have started putting locks on their trash containers (misers. I got more than one PC out of a super market trash container in the past).

Taking from trash not in a waste disposal container is slightly different, because its not in a proper container therefore not technically regarded as waste from a legal perspective. However the person that dumped it could get done for fly-tipping.

reply to post by BMorris


Actually, it is still stealing if you take rubbish from a bin. A woman was convicted in 2011 of Theft after taking food thrown out by Tesco.

There are legal precendents set:

Williams v Phillips (1957) 41 Cr App R 5.
A householder put refuse out for collection by the local authority refuse workers. It was held by the Divisional Court that such refuse remained property belonging to the householder until collected, whereupon property passed to the local authority. Hence, refuse workers helping themselves to such property could be convicted of theft, on the basis that the property never became ownerless.

Throwing something out does not automatically mean you have relinquished ownership.

The reason why supermarkets might lock their bins? To stop people stealing their rubbish, the same reason I lock my house! Many supermarkets will send what they can to be re-used as fuel or recycled, so just because it is in a bin, it does not follow it is either unwanted, unused or unowned.

So, regardless of what you think, the law is quite clear and you clearly do not know the law as well as you believe.

i know the cops around this area, someone had to complain or call to be honest because most of the cops don't give a freak, people drive around all day no seat belts, teens smoking **** and most the cops just yell at them.

im not promoting it, but i live in a commercial business area every day there a starbucks i walk to because it across the street, in legal terms i J-WALK and i bet at least half the police force has seen me do it because they hang out at that location and don't care!



this is just a mrFMPerson Rant about the subject.