A Worrying Sign Of The Times

[royfromaus]

or a fair sentence?


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-50861259

[venator]

The last years of Rome!

[Mamyalynne]

He certainly sounds dangerous, threats to harm and torch buildings too - I know little or nothing about American sentencing however.

The Judge does.

[albaqwerty]

15 years wasn't just for burning a flag tho.

I thought the jailhouse interview with the media an interesting concept although the recording being admitted into evidence against him a little bit dis-quietening.

[cassa333]

I think the 15 years was less to do with the LBGT flag than threatening to burn down the strip club and being a habitual offender.

But even so 15 years does seem a tad excessive....

[ummmm]

They are a bit extreme on sentencing.

[royfromaus]

'15 years wasn't just for burning a flag tho.'

'I think the 15 years was less to do with the LBGT flag than threatening to burn down the strip club and being a habitual offender.'


15 years for hate crime
1 year for the reckless use of fire
30 days for harassment.

I'm sure there are Americans who love The Star-Spangled Banner just as much as an LBGT person loves the Rainbow flag.

How many have been jailed for 15 years for burning the US flag?
I think this excessive sentence will be counterproductive.

[Mamyalynne]

I'm sure you won't be alone in thinking he's been hard done by.

[ummmm]

I believe he has been. 15 years is a minimum sentence. Not like here, sentenced to 15 with a minimum of 5.

Goes to show that not only the death penalty isn't a deterrent, neither is harsh sentences. He knew he would be caught. So either he doesn't care about going to prison, believes so strongly in his views or has mental health issues.

[emmie]

not fair at all, fifteen years is excessive, though we don;t know what other crimes he might have been charged with, so three strikes and you are out could be the case here.

[New Judge]

Just as with events in this country, it's unwise to judge a court's sentence based on a few lines from a media report. The court will have had far more information about these crimes and the individual concerned.

That said, the USA treats people who present threats to the population with a little more seriousness than we do in the UK. In the light of some recent events here it's difficult to say they are wrong.

[ludwig]

//He was found guilty last month of hate crime harassment, reckless use of fire and being a habitual offender.//

We don't know enough about his previous offences. They obviously take those into account when sentencing over there, so if you rack up enough minor crimes to show you have no intention or capability of reforming, you eventually end up with a major sentence.

[hereIam]

Probably deserved it.

[ToraToraTora]

seems harsh.

[Spicerack]

On the face of it, *** ridiculous. This can't stand.

[TheDevil]

15 years is a bit much but then if everyone stole church flags an burnt them outside strip clubs then the world probably wouldn't function as we know it.

What is the punishment for theft, vandalism and arson not to mention hate crime? Wouldn't surprise me if it all added up to 15 years.

[KARL]

The USA has its policies on sentencing - they are certainly not becoming more lenient nor appears there to be any reduction in crime (more like the opposite). They appear to suffer more than any other well reported country from extreme types of crime. Other countries have the courage to try other ways of dealing with crime and some of these result in both a reduction of recidivism and overall crime rates (at least in some categories). Crime and disagreeable/offensive behaviour are a problem everywhere and nowhere has a magic solution, the USA one is certainly not the best nor should others follow their example.

[youngmafbog]

I suspect there is more to this than we are being told.

Reading between the lines it does seem this idiot is a risk to the general public, so best locked up.