Only in the USA: 22 years in prison for stealing tv remote

originally posted by: GreenGunther
And the system breeds another hardened criminal.

No, he 'bred' himself. Plenty of opportunities to change his life but didn't give a damn. Owning the consequences of your own behaviour isn't taught too often these days.
If you mean that he will get worse in prison, maybe, but I guess he'll never change anyway, out or in. At least he is out of society for a while.
Maybe he should get a lifetime in a mental institution for failing to understand causes and effects.

Well, if society isn't satisfied with him receiving jail time for his crimes . . . perhaps we should just cut off his hand for his offense and release him.

originally posted by: underwerks
That's around $200,000 of taxpayer money paying for him to be locked up for a $5 TV remote, if he serves his whole sentence.

Wouldn't surprise me in today's golden age of thought if there's people out there that think this is a good idea for some strange reason.

Yep there has to be a better way to punish some people.

But it really does piss me off when I cant find the remote.

Usually when you continually break the law, the sentences get progressively longer. In most states I'm familiar with, committing the same crime three times or more gets you labelled a habitual offender, and your sentencing gets harsher with each offense.

Reading a less-biased article sheds some more light on things: he was initially charged and taken to a grand jury on two counts, including burglary. He confessed to over 60 burglaries in the same area where he was arrested. Those are in addition to ones he's already been convicted for. He's been given probation numerous times. He's been sent to rehab multiple times.

Apparently giving him the benefit of the doubt, which has been done multiple times before, wasn't doing anything to deter or prevent his continued criminal behavior. I presume that being locked up for several years will stop him from burglarizing anybody for at least 11 years.

This is a classic example of a gross miscarriage of justice. Especially for a petty theft, and calling taking a TV remote from a common and publicly accessible lounge in an apartment complex burglary is a new low for a prosecutor. They wanted to make an example of him. But then they make an example out of everyone in today's courts.

Evidently he has been in trouble for stealing or illegal behavior before. He will be out in a couple of years with good behavior, maybe he will finally learn his lesson. Justice works in strange ways, how many times did he get off with nothing before this. This is a way our judicial system can get these people off the street and possibly correct their ways.

a reply to: opethPA

Dont want to go to jail for 22 years then dont make thr choice to be a career criminal so that when you are eventually caught doing sometbing dumb, like stealing a remote, they throw the book at you...

That's what likely happened in this case! If someone starts making themselves familiar with the court system, eventually they're going to say "screw this guy, he just doesn't get it!" Keep playing with fire and you'll eventually get burned.

originally posted by: evc1shop
The judge should've given him a sentence more fitting for the crime.
Perhaps 3 years in prison with a tv behind a protective cover and no remote. 1 channel or maybe randomly selected by the guards.

That should help him reflect on why other's may want to have their remotes handy and not stolen.

Ha ha awesome, best reply in the thread

a reply to: Shamrock6

Alot of them were remotes though. So I think he might have a sick remote fetish. 22 years is still harsh.

Having read the article, the sentence should have been longer. This man has no place in a free society.

originally posted by: NoCorruptionAllowed
This is a classic example of a gross miscarriage of justice. Especially for a petty theft, and calling taking a TV remote from a common and publicly accessible lounge in an apartment complex burglary is a new low for a prosecutor. They wanted to make an example of him. But then they make an example out of everyone in today's courts.

Or its the classic case of a career criminal paid the price for their dumb choices and some people here refuse to see that so they are focused on stealing a remote equals 22 years.

Shamrock does a great job above of giving info on this lowlife, you should read it before rolling out the crime doesnt fit the punishment line.

There are a lot of career criminals in Washington that gets 0 years in prison, though they are repeatedly on the offense.

I feel pity for the poor guy, he needs help he's not a criminal.

a reply to: goou111

A lot of them were remotes and televisions.

Burglary is burglary. 22 years for an admitted 60-odd burglaries isn't harsh. Especially considering having a prior history and multiple attempts by the court to give him alternative sentencing.

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: goou111

A lot of them were remotes and televisions.

Burglary is burglary. 22 years for an admitted 60-odd burglaries isn't harsh. Especially considering having a prior history and multiple attempts by the court to give him alternative sentencing.

Its also a really good lesson to others who think that continually breaking the law will go unpunished or carry very light sentences.

a reply to: UKTruth

I used to work a lot of retail crime cases (shoplifting, trespassing, etc) and it's always amazed me how people can get charged multiple times for shoplifting and catch break after break from the court and then get butt-hurt because their 7th shoplifting charge netted them a month in jail.

Stop breaking the law maybe? Novel concept for some, I suppose.

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: goou111

A lot of them were remotes and televisions.

Burglary is burglary. 22 years for an admitted 60-odd burglaries isn't harsh. Especially considering having a prior history and multiple attempts by the court to give him alternative sentencing.

Oh I dont really care where he ends up at all. 22 years for anything non violent just seems so harsh.

originally posted by: goou111

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: goou111

A lot of them were remotes and televisions.

Burglary is burglary. 22 years for an admitted 60-odd burglaries isn't harsh. Especially considering having a prior history and multiple attempts by the court to give him alternative sentencing.

Oh I dont really care where he ends up at all. 22 years for anything non violent just seems so harsh.

Burglarizing other people 60-odd times seems harsh.

originally posted by: goou111

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: goou111

A lot of them were remotes and televisions.

Burglary is burglary. 22 years for an admitted 60-odd burglaries isn't harsh. Especially considering having a prior history and multiple attempts by the court to give him alternative sentencing.

Oh I dont really care where he ends up at all. 22 years for anything non violent just seems so harsh.

Then the criminal shouldn't have made the choice to steal from people over 60 times.

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: goou111

originally posted by: Shamrock6
a reply to: goou111

A lot of them were remotes and televisions.

Burglary is burglary. 22 years for an admitted 60-odd burglaries isn't harsh. Especially considering having a prior history and multiple attempts by the court to give him alternative sentencing.

Oh I dont really care where he ends up at all. 22 years for anything non violent just seems so harsh.

Then the criminal shouldn't have made the choice to steal from people over 60 times.

I get it. If he stole from me I would probably be like "lock him up for good.'

But still DAMM 22 years. There has to be a better effing way.

a reply to: trollz

I would bet he was charged as a Habitual Offender which in my home state carries a 20 year prison term, so yes he was arrested for burglary of said remote but the judge convening over the case probably looked at his "rapsheet" and charged him as a habitual offender.

You are correct that rapists and child molesters get way less time in prison, usually and it is mostly because they take plea deals to get short time. However depending on the case they can also get anyone from 10 years to life in prison.