TV Theft Offender To Be Released After 35 Years

All Headline News ^ | May 19, 2005 | Niladri Sekhar Nath

[bulldozer]

This should be a lesson to those who want to steal a TV set.

[dighton]

Misleading headline, as anyone might have guessed:

Allen was punished with life-imprisonment for second-degree burglary in 1970 for sneaking into an unlocked house near Benson and stealing a 19-inch black-and-white television.

At that time, he was a 30-year-old migrant farm worker from Georgia with a criminal history of burglaries and a violent assault.

[NonValueAdded]

Before there are too many tears shed for the perp, consider these snips from the article:

Allen was punished with life-imprisonment for second-degree burglary in 1970 for sneaking into an unlocked house near Benson and stealing a 19-inch black-and-white television.

At that time, he was a 30-year-old migrant farm worker from Georgia with a criminal history of burglaries and a violent assault.

So he wasn't in jail for 35 years because of a theft; it was because he was a habitual criminal. Good thing no one was home when the violent offender stole the TV or there might be a murder charge involved. Boo freaking hoo.

[PISANO]

In my youth I knew this guy who got LIFE after he was caught CARRING a TV out of Sears. He was already a three time loser. No one, including his boyhood friend, my uncle, ever heard from him again.

This was in the early 50's.

TV's were huge in those days I have no idea how he was able to carry one but that is the story.

[dead]

As Sammy Davis Jr. sang:

"Don't do the crime if you ain't Robert Blake."

[mbynack]

If this is the same case posted earlier this week, the thief not only stole the TV, but beat up an 80 year old woman during the robbery.

[monday]

"The law related to his offense has been amended and the harshest penalty anyone can now receive for second-degree burglary is three years,"

Courts in the US are crap shoots. Murders and rapists get parole, while burglars get life.

[EdHallick]

Meanwhile OJ is playing golf.

[conservativewasp]

All felons should be executed, one strike and you're DEAD!

[bulldozer]

Before posting I did a search of the title.
Nothing came up. I don't like to repost a previous one.
Maybe you can provide a link to it.

[monday]

"If this is the same case posted earlier this week,"

Provide a link.

[FormerLib]

Particularly those "...with a criminal history of burglaries and a violent assault."

[CommandoFrank]

Just think... all the shows he wanted to watch have been long gone...

[AggieCPA]

Oh really? The death penalty for ALL felons? So you would execute someone who wrote a bad check for $200?

[yarddog]

Courts in the US are crap shoots. Murders and rapists get parole, while burglars

In this particular case I think he was sentenced for being a habitual criminal.

I do agree with you that U.S. Courts are a crap shoot tho. I used to watch Court TV and thought some of the verdicts were astounding.

I would hate to be an innocent person in an American Court. On the other hand, if I were guilty, I would love it.

[andyk]

Howdy!

[NonValueAdded]

Yeah, what yarddog said. I hope in your comment to me that you aren't advocating relaxing penalties for habitual offenders just because some murders and rapists get through the system. I'm sure most of us share your outrage about those who skate through. But it's is better to tighten up punishment than to relax it for everyone because some slip through.

[AggieCPA]

Howdy!

[mbynack]

I did a search and couldn't find it on FR. Here's a link to the original.

http://www.nbc17.com/news/4507666/detail.html

Sometimes the voices in my head tell me things that aren't really true.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"All felons should be executed, one strike and you're DEAD!"

All mean spirited, simpleminded people should be chained to a post on the courthouse lawn and flogged.

No offense intended, conservative wasp, I'm just being sarcastic like you were.

Michael Frazier