Grinch steals Power Tools gets 70 years in Prison WOW

I am sure some people if not many may argue this is justified. However it seems this woman while a criminal is being judged and sentenced for all her past crimes. So like the saying goes "Let the punishment fit the crime" I understand the penalties in Texas tend to be very severe as well. But keep in mind this could happen to anyone, and I don't think I would miss my Christmas lights that bad had it happened to me. Maybe 10 years would be fair. She may be scum of the earth for all I know and from the sound of it she probably is however this is not only a huge waste of taxpayers dollars it is also unethical. Just think of all the forceful felons, murderers and pedophiles out there that only do a fraction of 10 years in prison. It seems our media has gone in to a trend and singled out many people for a witch hunt all for media hype. Next thing you know here comes a blood thirsty lynch mob with torches and pitch forks.

Well here is the article.

Why It Took a Jury Five Minutes to Sentence Woman to 70 Years in Prison After She Stole Power Tools

When you get caught stealing power tools, it’s unlikely to earn you a 70-year prison sentence. Then again, when you’re known as the county’s Christmas “Grinch,” the wheels of justice in this case turned a whole lot harder and faster. Woman Known as Christmas Grinch Sentenced to 70 Years in Prison After Stealing Power Tools Dana Brock (Image source: KXAS-TV) Indeed it took a jury all of five minutes to hand down the sentence for Dana Brock, 44, on Thursday, KXAS-TV in Fort Worth reported. “A 70-year sentence will knock the air out of your stomach,” said her attorney Raul Navarez. “She kept asking me, ’70 years? Are you serious? 70 years?’ Because 70 years is a pretty harsh sentence for this kind of a deal. And quite frankly, that’s what I argued to the jury. But the jury decided and we have to respect that.” So why the harsh sentence? Mainly because of Brock’s voluminous rap sheet, KXAS reported, but then there’s the “Grinch” factor. Seems Brock became known as the Christmas “Grinch” after getting caught on surveillance video stealing Christmas lights from outside a home while the family slept last December.

Then when she was collared again in May for stealing a weed wacker and a power washer from a garage, a deputy recognized her on that surveillance tape, too. He said, “Hey, that’s the Grinch,” according to assistant Parker County district attorney Jeff Swain. “He knew right away who it was.” The jury saw the video of her stealing Christmas lights, too. “When you’re known as the Christmas Grinch, people do remember you,” Swain said. As far as her other misdeeds, Brock got started down a bad path at the age of 17 when she was convicted in Arizona of solicitation to commit murder, KXAS reported. Later she was convicted of credit card abuse, injury to a child, theft, assault, and drug possession. Instead of two to 20 years in prison for burglary of a habitation, Brock faced 25 years to life under the “three strikes and you’re out” law, KXAS said. Here’s a report from KXAS:

www.theblaze.com... tools/#


Lets do the Math


48,000 tax dollars a year security and health covering the biggest percentage. Take that times 70. when we have a kid walking that killed 4 people, men that raped children spending no time in jail and the list could go on and on....What is wrong with this country? If she had the flu she would have got off.



I will just leave this here

My view, which I assume few will agree with, is turn prison back to actual centers of rehabilitation, and have the death penalty for multiple offenders. Not out of hate, but because they clearly have no place in this world.

I'm shocked at the number of people who boldly do things like this to their own souls. There are consequences to every behavior. Her life is a mess, and she is needing some major reform work, but house arrest and a bracelet with a chip so they can trace where she is, is one way of dealing with her, with counseling.

However, to willfully, in sound mind and body, smite someone for minor offenses, ie, not rape, murder, mass murder, extortion of a nation, etc. for major time, (anything beyond a year would have been major), is a crime in itself. You go through this, you've done it to yourself. No one is off the hook. Jurors may have some psuedo legal crapola beliefs in this lifetime, but their own souls should be warning them not to harm people, but help them.

reply to post by DarthFazer

at the age of 17 when she was convicted in Arizona of solicitation to commit murder, KXAS reported. Later she was convicted of credit card abuse, injury to a child, theft, assault, and drug possession.

Whew. I'm not one to come down on the side of the prison industrial complex but in this case the woman is a walking hazard to life and limb. She sounds like a total sociopath.

The solicitation to commit murder, injury to a child, theft and assault are enough for me. Keep this person away from law abiding citizens, the longer the better. Score one for Texans.

OccamsRazor04
My view, which I assume few will agree with, is turn prison back to actual centers of rehabilitation, and have the death penalty for multiple offenders. Not out of hate, but because they clearly have no place in this world.

The first part I agree with. The second part is borderline psychopathy.

There are two very different viewpoints. It's like leftism mixed with hardcore conservatism

Our system is broken.

Killers, rapists, and child offenders get less time than many other lesser crimes.

I'm not going to judge her but her wrap sheet isn't on Santa's "good list".

My brother just got sentenced to 12 years for intent to manufacture drugs, while I just went and got a friend who was released from prison after servibg only 3 1/2 years after hitting a guy(DUI) on a bike and leaving him to die along the road.

Our system is intended to be fair and help people. But it is exactly the opposite.

She should've been made into dog food long ago.

Xaphan

OccamsRazor04
My view, which I assume few will agree with, is turn prison back to actual centers of rehabilitation, and have the death penalty for multiple offenders. Not out of hate, but because they clearly have no place in this world.

The first part I agree with. The second part is borderline psychopathy.

There are two very different viewpoints. It's like leftism mixed with hardcore conservatism

You clearly have no idea what psychopathy is.

1. a mental disorder in which an individual manifests amoral and antisocial behavior, lack of ability to love or establish meaningful personal relationships, extreme egocentricity, failure to learn from experience, etc.

It is due to love that their life on this world must come to an end. It is extreme selfishness to do otherwise.

If she is sociopath, or other, perhaps a mental institution would better be better off, maybe even help her. Seventy years in prison? That time, money and place could be used to the early released due to lack of room child molesters, murderers and rapists.

By all means it was a crime that could have hurt someone else's livlihood. Stealing of power tools could badly hurt the construction worker that depends on those tools for his living every day. She should most definitely receive a punishment.

I think that it would be better to give her in the thousands of hours of community service. At least she woulldn't cost the prison system $48,000 a year (or more if she has medical problems that are lucky enough to be treated). Thousands of hours of community service would help clean up the community, and it would make her think twice about ever stealing anything again. I would add to that a mandatory suspended (probation sentence) of up to 10 years with regular supervision with the DOC if I was the jury in this case. If she violated the probation terms more than twice, then give her the suspended sentence of X number of years.

Probation often times can rehabilitate people. She would probably need to go in once a week to check in, and she could be put in classes that she is required to pay herself to learn better what is "socially acceptable". People can change, even at that age. I have seen it happen.

Edit: I would also add mandatory counseling 1 time per month with a qualified therapist.

OccamsRazor04
My view, which I assume few will agree with, is turn prison back to actual centers of rehabilitation, and have the death penalty for multiple offenders. Not out of hate, but because they clearly have no place in this world.

I concur, rehabilitation seems to be the least the Criminal justice system is concerned with. Prisons any more have become for profit prisons. People who murder and rape should be put away permanently to rot or die IMO. Petty theft is the least of society's problems , things are not people. This is a case of "we don't like you" and throwing the book. Five minutes to made a decision sounds like a knee jerk reaction. Note to self: stay away from Texas.

Bassago
reply to post by DarthFazer

 

at the age of 17 when she was convicted in Arizona of solicitation to commit murder, KXAS reported. Later she was convicted of credit card abuse, injury to a child, theft, assault, and drug possession.

Whew. I'm not one to come down on the side of the prison industrial complex but in this case the woman is a walking hazard to life and limb. She sounds like a total sociopath.

The solicitation to commit murder, injury to a child, theft and assault are enough for me. Keep this person away from law abiding citizens, the longer the better. Score one for Texans.

I wouldn't doubt she is a sociopath. Perhaps a shrink and some meds would suffice. But like I said in her past she was charged assuming she did the time or was exonerated but still how does sentencing someone twice make sense? Now had they gave her 70 years for her past transgressions back then it would make sense. I don't see how she could have been penalized to this extreme over power tools unless she was on parole or some other stipulation. Last time I checked you can't be tried for a crime twice, double jeopardy.

Only last week texas let a brat who killed 4 off and crippled another off with just probation for being rich.

At least give her the option of cutting off one of her hands. Dear lord. 70 years? I'm sure congress has at least all of them a good number that could be convicted and sentenced to the same if anyone ever took a fine tooth comb over them… But then again, that's why presidential pardons exist.

reply to post by InFriNiTee


We could use more rational people like you behind the gavel, all excellent points. They are not fixing the problem but sweeping it under the rug because they do not want to deal with her imo. What it costs to feed house give medical attention to and secure this woman costs more than what I make in a year as well as many other tax payers. The system is a joke it's comical.

Xaphan

There are two very different viewpoints. It's like leftism mixed with hardcore conservatism

Because god forbid someone thinkd independatly and doesnt align themselfs in either narriw catogary.

reply to post by DarthFazer


I agree with what you have said. No one should be tried for anything other than the issue for which they have been charged and they should be tried on the basis of the evdience only.

Once you start bringing in ones history then we have thrown the rule of law out the window which is what we tradiationally on this forum, accuse the powers that be of doing. The more small time insignificent little nobodies like us, the 99%, do this kind of thing the more we deserve what we get from the 1 percenters plain and simple.

When small time insignificent little nobodies like us, the 99% start acting like we think we are the 1 percenters the more the 1 percenters must be nearly laughing themselves at us to death.

reply to post by DarthFazer


I would hope the sentence is overturned / changed on appeal. Conviction based on previous bad acts that have nothing to do with the present crime should not be allowed.

While I am in favor of supporting jury conclusions / sentences there are occasions where a judge should in fact nullify the jury based on law and common sense. A conclusion reached by facts on the current issue is a decision... When a conclusion is reached by using previous incidents that have no bearing on the reason they are there is revenge.

This should be one of those cases...

reply to post by Xcathdra

I would hope the sentence is overturned / changed on appeal. Conviction based on previous bad acts that have nothing to do with the present crime should not be allowed.

They have everything to do with it when she's not simply being charged with theft of power tools, but a 3rd strike conviction as a career criminal. The last few lines of that story ....buried wayyyyyy down at the end... explain she was standing on a 25-Life possibility for her 3rd strike.

She just HAPPENED to have the exceptionally bad judgement of making that 3rd strike crime one that infuriated the community beyond reason. So much that a Jury handed her this sentence by how I read that. I guess being a career criminal doesn't pay in Texas......as she just learned.

One down..many many to go.

DarthFazer
Lets do the Math 48,000 tax dollars a year security and health covering the biggest percentage.

Not if I was the boss. She'd get two slices of bread and the equivalent of 8 glasses of water a day (through the crack under the door of course) ... and the cell door would never be opened once in those 70 years. Start making people serve their sentences ... and crime will diminish. Pandering to the convicted encourages them.

The system needs to pay the wrongly convicted ... and that's only after we're sure it wasn't a set-up for that express purpose.

I'm tired of crime.