Posted on 05/05/2014 11:04:37 AM PDT by Second Amendment First
A man convicted of robbery in 2000 but never sent to prison until last year because of a clerical mistake walked free Monday after a judge lauded his "exemplary" behavior during 13 years of freedom. uncredited | AP Cornealious Anderson More News
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Cornealious "Mike" Anderson dabbed tears from his eyes as the judge announced his decision during a hearing that lasted just 10 minutes. Anderson left the courtroom with his wife and 3-year-old daughter on one arm and his mom on the other.
Anderson was 23 when he was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in the robbery of a fast-food restaurant's assistant manager. He told The Associated Press last month that he waited, and even asked about going to prison, but the order never came.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
We’ll have to disagree. When someone wants to take something from me, even if I owe it to them, they have to file the proper legal proceeding, and if they fail to in the proper time, they forfeit their right, through the statute of limitations, to get what I owe them. In my opinion, though there is no statute of limitations on how long the government has to come get you after they convict you, the same principle applies. They leave you alone for 13 years, and now want to take away your family that happened in the interim, to me, they blew it. I can understand the other viewpoint, I just don’t think that it is just.
See post # 20. The purpose of prison is punishment. I would need far more info than what has been given so far by the msm. I thought Freepers would know by now that the left does not report the true story or the whole story.
Yes, it must be a media conspiracy to hide a reason to justify to everyone your insistence that he be sent to prison. I mean, he just MUST have done something. It’s inconceivable that he could have actually lived an upstanding life, right?
BTW there actually IS a leftist media conspiracy. It's been mentioned once or twice here on FR.
Why didn't he contact authorities?
From the article:
He told The Associated Press last month that he waited, and even asked about going to prison, but the order never came
According to this he did contact them.
There are statutes of limitations on taking action for crimes, filing lawsuits. In this case, if the government couldn't get it together for 13 years - their loss.
And, Oh yeah, he did do something; armed robbery.
According to the article he asked his lawyer. He was CONVICTED of violent crime. Statute of limitations, if there is one for armed robbery, shouldn’t be a factor.
There’s no law that says he’s obligated to remind them. They told him to wait. He waited.
Did you read the original article? It was linked in the responses here, I believe. He was told by the court to go home and wait for them to contact him about when he would be taken to prison to start serving his sentence.
He did. After a while, he inquired about when they would contact him. They told him to be patient. So he was. He went about his life for 13 years waiting for the day they would contact him and take him to prison.
Then one day, the SWAT team shows up and arrests him. Why? He wasn’t hiding. He wasn’t evading. He was just living a productive life and they sent SWAT.
Did they try to pick up a phone and call him and say “Hey, mind coming in? We have a spot open for you now?” No, they sent SWAT.
Did they think he was a flight risk? Clearly he wasn’t, he lived in the open where they could have contacted him.
Did they think he was dangerous? Clearly he wasn’t, he hadn’t been in trouble since his conviction.
So where was the justice at this point? The judge decided that he had reformed himself while living in the open in an open society.
I believe imprisonment should be for separating those who refuse to live in a civil society without breaking it’s laws. I don’t believe prison should be to punish or reform the criminal, I believe prison should be about protecting society. That’s why I don’t believe we should be releasing people from prison if we make it clear they cannot be trusted in society (i.e. registering sex offenders) nor should we be paroling people who have multiple violent offenses on their record.
But this guy? After 13 years, I would say that he is not a danger to society. Society will not be better protected by putting him in prison. So, to my mind, justice has been served already.
And they finally got around to him.
Let's just say I would rather do my own research than make a decision based on reporting from the leftist msm.
IF the story is as reported there should still be punishment for the crime.
IF he has led a blameless and upstanding life since the conviction I would think a sentence of time served would be justified along with 13 yrs of weekend talks to at risk teens that he could influence.
Why do you think I wanted him to go to jail for 13 yrs?
I think the article is confusing on that point.
But, seems he played by their rules and they screwed up. Errors by the government should ALWAYS favor citizens. Period.
Sentencing today has nothing to do with reforming....its about punishment and warehousing mostly
But like you I applaud the mercy...since appears merited
He committed a violent crime. He didn’t steal a car or a lawn ornament. They held a gun to someone’s head.
Don’t care what it was. If the government screws up, should always be in the citizen’s favor.
Just like if the government can’t prove your guilt in court. It is always in your favor. They have to go above and beyond to take away your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
If the rule was for them to set a date for him to report to begin serving his sentence, and they messed up on the paperwork, there should be a limitation on how long they can come back and get you for it.
I’m happy for Anderson. Now, the system needs to address the millions of others who HAVE been convicted and served time but NEVER get rehabilitated. A person has to WANT to be “rehabbed”, going to prison to sit and watch TV, lift weights, play games and do absolutely NOTHING to improve himself is obviously NOT WORKING. That breed of losers will never learn.
______ always taking credit for stuff they supposed to do. “I pay my child support”. You supposed to support your kids, you low-expectation ________.....Chris Rock
;-)
What if they raped your daughter? Would it be different then?
liberals let emotions drive their decisions and actions. justice must be dispassionate.
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