[aldo_14]

http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/40228.html
[q]After 35 years in prison for stealing a television set worth £77, Junior Allen is finally free.

Allen walked out of prison on Friday on his way to live with relatives in Georgia, ending a well-publicised case that saw the 65-year-old sit in jail while people convicted of murder, rape or child molestation were released.

"I'm glad to be out," Allen told supporters outside Orange Correctional Centre. "I've done too much time for what I did. I won't be truly happy until I see a sign that says I'm outside of North Carolina."

Allen was sentenced to life in prison in 1970 for entering an unlocked house and stealing a black-and-white television.
At the time, he was a 30-year-old migrant farm worker from Georgia with a criminal history that included burglaries and a violent assault.
The law governing his crime has since been changed, and the most severe penalty anyone can now receive for second-degree burglary is three years.

Rich Rosen, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law professor who took up the case three years ago, said it should not have taken so long for Allen to be released.

"It's a shame it didn't happen 20 years ago," he said, "but at least he's got some years left."

The Parole Commission decided last year to release Allen if he behaved and completed a transitional work-release programme.
He performed so well that he was released several months early – on his twenty-sixth try at parole. [/q]

[TopAce]

Poor man. This story is stupid.

[Grug]

I wonder, has the Michelle Corby case reached news headlines anywhere outside Australia and Indonesia?

[WMCoolmon]

Interesting.

Although the crime is probably worse as it seems today. I'm not up on GB's inflation rates, but that, plus the relative scarcity of TVs in 1970 compared to today, would probably make the sentencing seem a little less harsh then than now.

Which raises an interesting aspect on the court system, if the significance of a crime changes over time, should the sentencing be adjusted accordingly (for those already convicted)? (I'm guessing there'll be a lot of "No"s here.)

[Mongoose]

For most of the time, I'd say no, based on the concept of ex post facto.    In other words, if a sentence for a crime would be more severe today than it was at the time the crime was committed, I don't think you could justifiably lengthen that sentence.  (In fact, I'm not sure if lengthening a sentence is allowed under any circumstances; there could be some constitutional issue surrounding that.)  However, in certain circumstances, I could see where a sentence for a crime could be substantially lessened, particularly involving a civil rights or discrimination issue.

[Andreas]

Originally posted by WMCoolmon
Interesting.

Although the crime is probably worse as it seems today. I'm not up on GB's inflation rates, but that, plus the relative scarcity of TVs in 1970 compared to today, would probably make the sentencing seem a little less harsh then than now.

How could it be any more justifiable back then? For ****s sakes we are talking about stealing a TV (and a black-and-white one at that) and getting 35 years in prison for it!?

[Grug]

Originally posted by Andreas

How could it be any more justifiable back then? For ****s sakes we are talking about stealing a TV (and a black-and-white one at that) and getting 35 years in prison for it!?

And you missed the point.

A TV back then was rare. You might of well have stolen a Roles Royce and raped the governor's daughter.

[Kie99]

Well I'm offering odds of 50/1 that he ever steals anything again.

[Grug]

He was a repeat offender. First thing he does when he gets out will be to flog the pens at the front desk of the prison.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Grug


And you missed the point.

A TV back then was rare. You might of well have stolen a Roles Royce and raped the governor's daughter.

Would stealing a Rolls Royce merit a virtual life sentence, then? Compared to shorter sentences meted out to child abusers, rapists, murderers, et al, of course.

[Flipside]

I don't think it was the colour of the TV that bought about the ultra-harsh sentence in the first place

[aldo_14]

"A Red Panatronics with chrome trim ?!  You bastard!"

[Flipside]

Thing is, that TV was worth 77 (dollars I assume?) which would make it worth, what, about 300 dollars these days, which is probably cheaper than a moderate sized plasma

[karajorma]

Problem isn't that he spent so long in jail. Problem is that the other criminals didn't spend longer

[Nuclear1]

Well, that just proves one thing...

...Southern states suck!

*burns down Atlanta*