Sentenced to life imprisonment for trying to steal hedge clippers.

[Edge-]

the law also said he can get life on his third strike, and he got 5.

Almost like we're criticizing the nonsense law regarding three strikes. Just because something is legal doesn't make it right.

problem is, he is still a repeat offender, a career criminal, with no expectations of stopping. his argument to the court isn't that he will stop and try to live crime free, its essentially 'life imprisonment is cruel, i want to be free'.

Because for his crimes, life imprisonment is cruel.

[Shadowferal]

This particular case already went to the Supreme Court and it went nowhere.
So, a non-issue to me.

[Egomaniac]

the law also said he can get life on his third strike, and he got 5.

Yes, we are all aware of that. The fact that it happened does not make it right.

problem is, he is still a repeat offender, a career criminal, with no expectations of stopping. his argument to the court isn't that he will stop and try to live crime free, its essentially 'life imprisonment is cruel, i want to be free'.

His argument is that he has already served 23 years for attempting to steal a garden tool.

Life imprisonment should be reserved for violent crimes.

Once again, if his "3 strikes" were all violent offenses this discussion would be different.

- - - Updated - - -

This particular case already went to the Supreme Court and it went nowhere.
So, a non-issue to me.

What kind of argument is that?

Lots of things have gone to the supreme court...are they all "non-issues" to you?

[Saltysquidoon]

This particular case already went to the Supreme Court and it went nowhere.
So, a non-issue to me.

*state supreme court.

If America is anything like Australia the quality and reliability of state supreme court judgments can vary from basically as good as it gets to not even worth reading.

[Shadowferal]

*state supreme court.

If America is anything like Australia the quality and reliability of state supreme court judgments can vary from basically as good as it gets to not even worth reading.

But that is as far as it can go.
The state Supreme Court is the final court that can rule on state cases.
This isn't a federal issue. The US Supreme Court can't touch this.

[Saltysquidoon]

But that is as far as it can go.
The state Supreme Court is the final court that can rule on state cases.
This isn't a federal issue. The US Supreme Court can't touch this.

It's an 8th amendment case so I'm pretty sure it's theoretically appealable to the US supreme court.

[cubby]

But that is as far as it can go.
The state Supreme Court is the final court that can rule on state cases.
This isn't a federal issue. The US Supreme Court can't touch this.

It most certainly can rule on this - state's routinely have their death penalty ruling reviewed by SCOTUS. And many other criminal and civil rulings. What the case won't do is wind through the Federal appellate system - it will request cert with SCOTUS, and then that's it.

[Masark]

It's an 8th amendment case so I'm pretty sure it's theoretically appealable to the US supreme court.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighth...ically_allowed

[markos82]

So how many 2nd chances should we give him? He's a career criminal and the streets are safer without him. Not losing any sleep over this one.

And at same time you sell guns to 16 year old kids that go to a shooting rampage while not letting others drink before 21.

[Saltysquidoon]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighth...ically_allowed

The most hilarious part is underneath the section where thy upheld a life sentence for stealing video tapes there's and analysis of proportionality and evolving standards of decency.

[Noxx79]

This particular case already went to the Supreme Court and it went nowhere.
So, a non-issue to me.

Why are you equating morality with the law?

[Masark]

Why are you equating morality with the law?

Because law serves as his prosthetic morality.

[Egomaniac]

Because law serves as his prosthetic morality.

Until it's a law that goes against his viewpoints.

[draynay]

Fair Wayne Bryant has been granted parole after 23 years served for attempted theft of hedge clippers.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...arole-n1243757

He's been arrested 20 times, so recidivism is still a possibility, but jailing him for life for his petty crimes is wasteful, hopefully he takes better care of himself now.

[s_bushido]

Fair Wayne Bryant has been granted parole after 23 years served for attempted theft of hedge clippers.

Well, that's some good news at least...

[dextersmith]

First...I very much doubt he ever got a second chance considering that the American prison system has a rough rehabilitation rate of zero...that further being compounded of him being a black man in Louisiana.

Also his criminal career seems to be him mostly sucking at being a criminal.

- - - Updated - - -



I'd just like to point out that kleptomania is a mental illness, aka an impulse control disorder that is typically manageable with anti depressants and therapy.

I don't think the guy has kleptomania. I think he just had a pretty shitty series of circumstances compounding his situation into the absurdity he ended up in.

His second chances should have been spent getting help instead of stealing. A career criminal is a career criminal, why bring up race?

[Mihalik]

His second chances should have been spent getting help instead of stealing. A career criminal is a career criminal, why bring up race?

Because race is highly relevant when it comes to:

1. Opportunities.
2. Sentencing.
3. Rehabilitation.
4. Being alive in America.
5. Being alive in the US South.
6. Being alive in the South before the 1970s, in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s etc.

- - - Updated - - -

Well, that's some good news at least...

It's something.

[dextersmith]

Because race is highly relevant when it comes to:

1. Opportunities.
2. Sentencing.
3. Rehabilitation.
4. Being alive in America.
5. Being alive in the US South.
6. Being alive in the South before the 1970s, in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s etc.

What opportunities would shears afford him? He was through the system, he must have known there are 3 strikes.

In that circumstance you just end up with an endless cycle of crime-prison-crime-prison where society is not protected from further crime and the taxpayers are paying for a massive bloated nonsensical prison system that just produces broken humans by the millions. And that's while ignoring the inherent racism and class privilege present in the justice system where bwankers are never prosecuted for laundering drug cartel money and illegally foreclosing homes and white college jocks get a slap on the wrist for murdering and raping people while poor knuckleheads like one get spend 60% of their lives in jail for petty theft.

You're not concerned about justice, your only agenda is race.

- - - Updated - - -

Explain to me how garden shears are worth life in prison. Explain to me why any non-violent offender needs to be given a life sentence.

He decided the shears were worth a third strike.

[Felya]

When you ask 5 people what the point of jail is, to result in 5 different answers... it should be obvious that the concept of jail is a social failure in it self.

[dextersmith]

According to the law?

Absolutely Zero.

Innocent until proven guilty.

It's really weird how you guys are still trying to justify locking a man up for his entire life over non-violent crimes.

Also, there's a false dichotomy between "coddling criminals" and "unduly harsh sentencing" some posters here are trying to force. Absolutely no one is saying that criminals should not be convicted and sentenced. What is being questioned is the idea of sending someone to prison for the rest of their life for attempting to steal lawn tools.

He's didn't get life for lawn tools, he's getting life for repeated stealing, with attempted armed robbery in 1979. Shears or ride-able lawn mower, it's still theft.