Teen gets branded a felon for life for robbing man of 7 cents

[96Firebird]

I don't think a judge should be punishing someone for asking for their day in court. It is not a crime to fight the charges against you, it's your right. The judge should be disciplined.

He didn't take the plee, he was found guilty, the judge can set any penalty up to the maximum.

 

[Wreckem]

I don't think a judge should be punishing someone for asking for their day in court. It is not a crime to fight the charges against you, it's your right. The judge should be disciplined.

Yes it is your right to fight charges in court. Its also the law in most states that if a juvenile commits a violent felony, which robbery is one, they are charged as and sentenced as an adult. The judge has discretion to give leniency to those who take responsibility for their crimes(pleading guilty). They are under NO obligation to give ANYONE leniency once they are convicted in court and can impose up to the maximum sentence.

The judge did absolutely nothing wrong. He was actually more than fair as he imposed a sentence that was less than the minimum required by statute. The statute imposes a 5 year sentence even on first time offenders. The kid got 2-6. He'll be out in 15 months and yes will forever be brandished a felon because of his own stupidity.

To underscore, you have a constitutional right to a trial, but when the victim id's you, your co-conspirator pleads guilty and testifies against you, and they have your fucking confession it is probably a good idea to plead guilty and hope for leniency because going to trial is only going to make things worse.

 

[randomrogue]

Maybe that 73 year old had it coming. Didn't think of that did ya?! I bet that old man looked at him funny. It's about time someone stood up to these old people!

Did the friend get a felony on his permanent record? Since he's getting juvenile detention I wouldn't be surprised if he can get his record cleaned when he gets out. This article is terrible and reeks of bias so I can't really be sure what to take from it.

 

[Wreckem]

Maybe that 73 year old had it coming. Didn't think of that did ya?! I bet that old man looked at him funny. It's about time someone stood up to these old people!

Did the friend get a felony on his permanent record? Since he's getting juvenile detention I wouldn't be surprised if he can get his record cleaned when he gets out. This article is terrible and reeks of bias so I can't really be sure what to take from it.

The friend pled guilty and was given a youthful offender status. Both are serving time in juvi because most states do not put minors under 17 who are convicted of adult crimes into adult prisons.

 

[Craig234]

For instance, a curb has cliff-like properties save the height, but it is not a cliff.

It might be a cliff, in the hands of a good tort lawyer in a lawsuit when someone falls on it.

 

[Craig234]

I don't think the amount has any bearing on this terrible crime.

I do think that we need to better with young criminals.

That includes educational issues, punishment recognizing the level of brain development of the young person, poverty issues, and rehabilitation.

We can do better to prevent such crimes, and to punish strongly and rehabilitate.

 

[airdata]

A couple points of bullshit here despite him committing the crime.

The whole plead guilty and not waste the courts time or you get a more harsh sentence policy is way out of line with the way a properly functioning justice system would work.

The person has the right to plead not guilty and goto trial. That's the beauty of our american justice system on paper at least.

This is why conviction rates are so high everywhere. They bully people into taking pleas regardless of how mishandled the case may be. Most people don't fight charges unless it's something like murder where you're doing life regardless. On most other charges they scare people into taking the 5 years instead of 15-20 if they dare claim innocence.

Secondly is the fact that he's 15. I understand special circumstances like vicious murders and what not. But this is not the case. Sure, let him do the 2+ years in juvi at which point he'll likely have turned into a more hardened criminal. They should attempt to reform him, get him educated. Sending him to a prison is pretty much ensuring that he'll commit more offenses once he's out especially if he's also got to deal w\ the stigma of being a felon.

BUT... Then his record should be whiped like everybody else when they turn 18. They're basically double trying him for one offense since he's 15. If you commit a crime in your youth, it's gone from your record when you turn 18 if I'm not mistaken.

So basically, the court is just manipulating the rules of how law works in order to make the sentences more severe. Which is complete bullshit. Kids are kids, adults are adults.

 

[Chaosblade02]

This article reeks of sympathy for this criminal, which is typical left-wing propaganda. To understand left-wing ideology, you have to look at everything ass backwards. Victims are actually the criminals, and the criminals are actually the victims.

In the US many teenagers who commit violent crimes are tried as adults subject to the full penalty of the law, and they should be. I would have tried him as an adult and gave him the maximum sentence. What kind of chicken shit thug beats up and robs and old man? I wonder what would have happened had he tried that on a healthy 20-40ish year old male?

I would even go as far as saying that punk ass teenagers who rob defenseless old people deserve to be thrown in a cell with a life long felon so they know what its like to get dominated, in their case, probably anally.

 

[lord_emperor]

He should have left the 7 cents and only been charged with assault.

 

[Craig234]

To understand left-wing ideology, you have to look at everything ass backwards. Victims are actually the criminals, and the criminals are actually the victims.

95% of what's said here about liberals is wrong or lies, I can't remember the other 5%.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I'm sorry, but this was a violent robbery. While it's true the victim had very little to give, I imagine the robber would have been just as happy (and in fact much happier) to take thousands of dollars in cash if the victim had it on his person. I consider it entirely reasonable to treat a person who punches an innocent, elderly man in the face in order to rob him as a felon, regardless of whether any money is actually taken. a 15-year-old can, in my view, be fairly tried as an adult under the right circumstances, and I see nothing about this case which would suggest this kid was treated unfairly.

 

[feralkid]

Kid needs to take a long walk off a short cliff

Haha, no kidding; dumb kid was probably counting his hens before the chicks were eggs in a basket case of raw oysters sera, sera!

 

[NoStateofMind]

I don't think a judge should be punishing someone for asking for their day in court. It is not a crime to fight the charges against you, it's your right. The judge should be disciplined.

No fuckin shit.

Walsh said he issued the harsh sentence because Stewart declined to plead guilty, choosing to fight the charges. A jury found him guilty of first degree robbery.

So your sentence is longer because you wanted to assert your rights? I'm not a lawyer but couldn't this be appealed?

Don't mistake my support of his rights to infer that I think he should have been let go. This asswhipe needs some detention to give him time to think about his actions. Fucking moron.

 

[werepossum]

No fuckin shit.



So your sentence is longer because you wanted to assert your rights? I'm not a lawyer but couldn't this be appealed?

Don't mistake my support of his rights to infer that I think he should have been let go. This asswhipe needs some detention to give him time to think about his actions. Fucking moron.

No. The point of a plea bargain is to gain a lighter sentence in return for saving the state the expense of a trial, so if you choose to go to trial, it should be a given that you get a longer sentence. Otherwise there's no incentive for anyone to plead guilty. The judge is merely pointing out this fact of life, as well as pointing out that if you commit a crime with someone else, and that person pleads guilty, your odds of being found not guilty are markedly worse than, say, being able to beat down an old man.

 

[rudder]

I don't think a judge should be punishing someone for asking for their day in court. It is not a crime to fight the charges against you, it's your right. The judge should be disciplined.

He didn't take the plee, he was found guilty, the judge can set any penalty up to the maximum.

Exactly. His friend identified him, the victim identified him.. case closed. The teen decided to waste the courts time with an open and shut case. He knew he was guilty going in and should have plead.

 

[Lemon law]

Why is no one asking the larger questions? Long odds this is not this juvenile offender's first brush with crime. But sadly our nation's prosecutor's tend to let such matters slide. Teaching the young kid they can just keep getting away with it.

How is this different from many of our non-violent bad check artists who keep getting slapped on the wrist well into adult hood. Teaching them they can forever get away with it. I was defrauded by one such person, and even if I pressed criminal charges, and learned said person had hundreds of out standing mis demeanor charges and not a single felony.

But finally it all unraveled one day, as said person faced one count of bad check felony charges, one count of felony credit card fraud, and one count of felony student loan fraud. And damn lucky to not face a 1003 felonies. And it was 6 long years before that person got out of prison. But there is something wrong with our society teaching that they could pain free get away with a thousand misdemeanors, and get the book thrown at them for committing one more.

As for the kid, he should get 4 years in the slammer, and maybe a chance to get the felony off his record. But if the kid ever commits a violent crime again, that is what three strikes and you are out should do. But why should those three strikes be consumed in just one incident. In terms of this felony, it really just felony strike one unless they want to ex post facto bring up previous misdemeanors.

Even if the kid does not learn the difference between right and wrong, they have 4 long years to learn that school of hard knocks lesson, if you fuck up in that manner, they put you in iron cages and feed you bad food. Screw up again, and its going to be much longer or maybe forever.

 

[Wreckem]

Exactly. His friend identified him, the victim identified him.. case closed. The teen decided to waste the courts time with an open and shut case. He knew he was guilty going in and should have plead.

Don't forgot his confession.

 

[Wreckem]

A couple points of bullshit here despite him committing the crime.

The whole plead guilty and not waste the courts time or you get a more harsh sentence policy is way out of line with the way a properly functioning justice system would work.

The person has the right to plead not guilty and goto trial. That's the beauty of our american justice system on paper at least.

This is why conviction rates are so high everywhere. They bully people into taking pleas regardless of how mishandled the case may be. Most people don't fight charges unless it's something like murder where you're doing life regardless. On most other charges they scare people into taking the 5 years instead of 15-20 if they dare claim innocence.

Secondly is the fact that he's 15. I understand special circumstances like vicious murders and what not. But this is not the case. Sure, let him do the 2+ years in juvi at which point he'll likely have turned into a more hardened criminal. They should attempt to reform him, get him educated. Sending him to a prison is pretty much ensuring that he'll commit more offenses once he's out especially if he's also got to deal w\ the stigma of being a felon.

BUT... Then his record should be whiped like everybody else when they turn 18. They're basically double trying him for one offense since he's 15. If you commit a crime in your youth, it's gone from your record when you turn 18 if I'm not mistaken.

So basically, the court is just manipulating the rules of how law works in order to make the sentences more severe. Which is complete bullshit. Kids are kids, adults are adults.

1. Yes you have a right to go to trial. But when you go to trial you more or less give up any chance of leniency in sentencing when convicted.

2. He confessed. It is cases like these where it is your first offense where you know you are guilty when you SHOULD take a plea bargain. No reasonable person in their right mind would ever plea out if they were truly innocent.

3. In most states, kids of a certain age can be charged and sentenced as an adult for violent crimes which robbery is one. And no they don't have to be released at 18 or 21 or have their records expunged. There are 13 and 14 year olds with life sentences(for murder) in some states.

 

[Nemesis 1]

Just recently the city clerk of my village was brought to court for stealing $25,000 dollars from our treasury. What did courts do . NO jail time . NO restoratution and to top it off SHE got a better job as night manager of the local HY-Vee. Was it because she is a women ? Or that her husband is a cop on Austin City police force. The law is not just and never will be.

 

[NoStateofMind]

Just recently the city clerk of my village was brought to court for stealing $25,000 dollars from our treasury. What did courts do . NO jail time . NO restoratution and to top it off SHE got a better job as night manager of the local HY-Vee. Was it because she is a women ? Or that her husband is a cop on Austin City police force. The law is not just and never will be.

I am of the mind that corruption exists in every county/city. The only thing in question is the degree in which it takes place.

 

[Chaosblade02]

Just recently the city clerk of my village was brought to court for stealing $25,000 dollars from our treasury. What did courts do . NO jail time . NO restoratution and to top it off SHE got a better job as night manager of the local HY-Vee. Was it because she is a women ? Or that her husband is a cop on Austin City police force. The law is not just and never will be.

This isn't as bad as beating up and robbing an old man.

 

[Nemesis 1]

This isn't as bad as beating up and robbing an old man.

None here know that better than I. varily I say onto you . Who has given more. A rich man who gives 20 pieces of gold or a poor women who gives her last coin. To steal from the old in the fashion done is truely sad . But I believe the minors parents should also be charged. For creating such offense to GOD.

 

[lothar]

If this had happened in Iran, both his arms would be amputated.

 

[Nemesis 1]

If this had happened in Iran, both his arms would be amputated.

1 hand for the theft. I don't know the penality for beating elderly

 

[lothar]

1 hand for the theft. I don't know the penality for beating elderly

I assume beating up a person requires more than one hand...