After 35 years, TV thief released

The Houston Chronicle ^ | 5/29/05 | Raleigh News & Observer

[demkicker]

RALEIGH, N.C. - Junior Allen, who spent 35 years in North Carolina prisons for stealing a $140 television, walked out of prison Friday a free man.

Allen, 65, will live with relatives in Georgia.

He was paroled on his 26th try after getting a life sentence in 1970 for second-degree burglary. Georgia authorities will supervise Allen's parole, which could last up to five years.

If Allen follows all laws, keeps a job and reports periodically to his parole officer there, he'll gain complete freedom by age 70.

Under an old law, the late Judge Pou Bailey sentenced Allen to life in prison for sneaking into an unlocked house and stealing a 19-inch black-and-white Motorola TV. Allen, a migrant farm worker, was 30.

The harshest punishment the offense could draw now is about three years in prison.

[Paleo Conservative]

Just think of all of the nice TVs that he could steal these days.

I bet not too many 87 year old women have such new TVs in their homes. This thug was looking for an easy place to steal from not for the house with the best TV. If he were going to commit the same crime today, he'd steal an analog CRT based TV with no remote control from a little old lady.

[beelzepug]

"Yeah, I'll bet that's the last time he ever steals anything..."

You're on!

[Redcloak]

I don't doubt that he's a scumbag; however, he should only have been sentenced for and served time for things he's actually been convicted of. If the sentence for 2nd degree burglary is only 3 years, then that's what his sentence should have been reduced to once the law was changed. If he had then gone on to commit new crimes, then the law should be changed to provide for a stiffer sentence for 2nd degree burglary.

[Paleo Conservative]

I don't doubt that he's a scumbag; however, he should only have been sentenced for and served time for things he's actually been convicted of.

The law that existed at the time he was convicted allowed for a life sentence. Once the criminal has been convicted the judge or jury can take lots of other information into account when sentencing. The fact that this wasn't his first conviction was probably a pretty big consideration in getting the maximum sentence.

I'm sure that if the same crime had been committed today he would have been convicted of attempted capital murder and DNA evidence would have been used to prove he was the one who assalted the 87 year old woman. I bet the prosecutor didn't want to have to put her on the witness stand. I see no reason why his sentence should have been lowered especially considering his behavior in prison.

[Redcloak]

But the fact is that he wasn't convicted of assault, let alone attempted murder. (And he certainly shouldn't be convicted on the basis of what a witness might have said.) He was convicted of 2nd degree burglary. If the sentence for that crime has since been reduced, then his sentence should have been reduced. What he did in prison is irrelevant. He wouldn't have been in prison to have all of those behavioral problems had the sentence been reduced.

[Bullish]

How many prior burglaries did the guy have?

[lowbridge]

Dont ever steal a mans tv.

[DouglasKC]

The headline should read:

Lifelone Criminal Released From Jail.

[cube432]

My "objective" and colour-blind friend: the fact that he's BLACK and POOR obviously didn't play into this, right? We can guess the outcome had he been a nice clean-cut white boy of good stock...

Yet the bigger travesty is that it took 35 years for the parole board (?) to 'figure out' the poor man didn't belong in jail. And then for good measure they knock on another 5 in which he's expected to report to a parole officer to ensure he doesn't "reoffend"; this while Hollywood types regularly get off scottfree for similar offenses...

The guy should sue the living pants off the State of NC. Living the remainder of his life in absolute luxury is the least he deserves.

[tnlibertarian]

If the sentence for that crime has since been reduced, then his sentence should have been reduced.

So, what do we do if a State repeals the death penalty?

[mtbrandon49]

Welcome to FreeRepublic!

cube432
Since May 31, 2005

[Redcloak]

Just what has already happened when states repeal the death penalty or the Court voids the applicable law.

How old are you?

[tnlibertarian]

Old enough to recognize a joke.

Let me spell it out: What would we do with the people whose death sentence had already been carried out? Kind of hard to commute their sentence, isn't it?

[Redcloak]

Oops... My bad. I'm in California. We don't actually carry out death sentences here. I hadn't considered the possiblity of the law changing after someone had been put down since they die of old age out here.