Justice in America

[Dan.Linehan]

[Dan.Linehan]

I think the punishment for theft and fraud charges should be based on the National median salary.

Let's say the median salary is $50k/year. The AIG executive would get 10,000 years in this case.

Also, it makes zero financial sense to spend $600,000 ($40k / year) of taxpayer money to lock someone up for 15 years for stealing $100.

[lifetimelearner]

the system will not change unless we the people bond together and demand change

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

This is ridiculous. For a humerous take on how white collar thugs get radically different treatment, see The Chappelle Show. Now, in that case, Dave compares his white collar guy with a crack dealer, but the example Dan posted is even more heinous and sickening to me.

What can we do to change this? Certainly vote for people who would change the laws. What else?

[Dan.Linehan]

Alright, now this is just weird.

Either Glenn Greenwald is reading reddit or he is reading my mind..

The definition of a "two-tiered justice system" - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com

[Subscreet]

This isn't as ridiculous as you're all making it out to be, it's just cherry-picking headlines. I know these forums just love to rail against corporations but it appears you're doing it without a critical analysis.

There's more to the these stories. What he did was certainly wrong, but the AIG exec didn't just steal 500 million dollars and those millions were lost over the course of years. It's not comparable to a man who comes into a bank and robs it with the implicit threat of violence. It seems like you're trying to make the homeless man more noble than he actually is. It doesn't matter that he only took $100 or that he turned himself in the next day. He could have been strung out or he could have just turned himself in for the food and shelter, and he also may have had priors that influenced the judge's decision.

There certainly is a disparity in sentencing and prison population when it comes to race and socioeconomic status, but this strikes me as apples and oranges really.

[schola]

Funny, I saw this posted on another forum too. Did you take the screenshot yourself?

[Dan.Linehan]

No, I didn't take the original screenshot, just cropped it.

[Capstan]

Originally Posted by Subscreet

This isn't as ridiculous as you're all making it out to be, it's just cherry-picking headlines. I know these forums just love to rail against corporations but it appears you're doing it without a critical analysis.

There's more to the these stories. What he did was certainly wrong, but the AIG exec didn't just steal 500 million dollars and those millions were lost over the course of years. It's not comparable to a man who comes into a bank and robs it with the implicit threat of violence. It seems like you're trying to make the homeless man more noble than he actually is. It doesn't matter that he only took $100 or that he turned himself in the next day. He could have been strung out or he could have just turned himself in for the food and shelter, and he also may have had priors that influenced the judge's decision.

There certainly is a disparity in sentencing and prison population when it comes to race and socioeconomic status, but this strikes me as apples and oranges really.

Your use of the word, disparity, is like comparing apples to novae. There certainly is more to these stories than is acknowledged by the complacent and comfortable, the haves vs. the have-nots, capital vs. labor. You speak as a true yes-man.

And what do you mean by, "critical analysis?" Critical for whom?

Your sort of razzle-dazzle language is what allows corporate nightcrawlers and their politician minions to write these judicial disparities into law in the first place.

When it comes to the law, nothing is "implicit."

Pardon me while I "rail," friend. Hooray for the internet and the chance for the common and uncommon to be heard.

[John Tedder]

I agree with you Dan. The sentences are ridiculous. Is there an attorney somewhere that will help the $100 thief appeal his sentence? I think the fact that he turned himself in says a lot. As long as he wasn't waving a gun around and assuming that no one was injured, 15 years is too long.

The AIG multi-million dollar thief committed his crime over several years, according to someone in this thread. I bet he didn't turn himself in. I bet his crime was discovered by someone else. He was content to commit his crime over and over. His punishment doesn't fit the crime. I'm guessing that he can't pay the money back either. He should never see the light of day. Four years is a joke.

[schola]

What do you expect from a culture that gives 7 figure golden parachutes to execs that run their company into the ground?

[ns123]

There is definitely more to this story than being reported. First degree robbery means he used a gun or made it look like he had a gun to commit the robbery. Which it did, since he put his hand in his pocket and making it like he had a gun.

What's strange is, first degree robbery in Lousiana carries a sentence anywhere from 3 to 40 years, depending on the circumstances. Why the judge gave him 15 years is not explained.

There is certainly a lot of information missing from this article.

When I encounter things that have me "outraged!" I try to step back and say... wait a minute...