Woodland cheese shoplifter gets 7 years 8 months in prison

[Bo]

Source: Sacramento Bee

A Yolo County judge on Monday sentenced a man who walked out of a store with a package of cheese in his trousers to seven years and eight months in prison.

Prosecutors had originally sought a life sentence for Robert Ferguson under the state's "three strikes" law. They dropped that bid last month, saying a psychological report had convinced them that a life sentence wasn't warranted.

At Monday's hearing, Deputy District Attorney Clinton Parish urged Judge Thomas Warriner to consider at least one of Ferguson's prior strikes – one for burglary and another for assault with a deadly weapon – and to sentence him to a lengthy term.


Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/02/2575168/woodland-cheese-shoplifter-gets.html

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THE CHEESE HEAD CRIME.

[fascisthunter]

1. yet the GOP "pimp" gets off scott free even though he committed a Federal Crime

[jgraz]

2. And the banksters will not only skate, they'll get to keep the profits from their fraud.

:banghead:

[Archae]

3. He's not a cheesehead.

Californicators can not be cheeseheads unless they are Packer fans. ;-)

[slackmaster]

4. Here's a rape/murder suspect who served only 5 years for violently molesting a 13-year-old girl

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/02/psychiatrist-urged-long-sentence-in-sex-offenders/

California too often puts the wrong people in prison and lets the wrong ones out of prison.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. a loser I went to high school with got his third strike for knocking over a vending machine

and not knocked over as in robbed, knocked over as in he pushed it over on its side.

[nyc 4 Biden]

6. Looks like it was nacho cheese.

...crickets...

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

7. Obviously rehabilitation is not possible for some people.

[Downwinder]

8. Are you referring to the Judge, Prosecutor, or Perp? n/t

[avaistheone1]

24. Bravo.

[Beetwasher]

9. Frumunda Cheese?

"with a package of cheese in his trousers"

Frumunda my nuts.

[greiner3]

10. Let me see;

At $15,000 per year for incarceration, that means the state of CA will pay about $125,000 to keep this person in jail. Good one. Yet if this person had been sent to some sort of counseling with the sentence suspended maybe CA could have saved a few dollars and gotten a better citizen and a better society. Just saying.

[Bozita]

12. California spends $47,102 per prisoner per year

See how it's broken down:
http://www.lao.ca.gov/laoapp/laomenus/sections/crim_justice/6_cj_inmatecost.aspx?catid=3

[Zoeisright]

11. That is fucking stupid.

This country is ended. It's now a fascist state.

[TheDebbieDee]

14. We're not a facist state. We're a prison state.

[reggie the dog]

13. If I were this guy I would become an armed robber

and just shoot it out to my death next time. He has no job prospects. And stealing food can get him life... so what does he have left?

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

15. That's cost effective....

I though 3 strikes meant 3 felonies?

[chrisa]

16. Three strikes is really dumb, imo.

If you're going to do sentences like this. Assault? Yeah, I could see upping the prison term each time. Stealing cheese? Right...

[scottsoperson]

17. most americans do not forgive criminals

unless they are rich criminals i guess.

[4lbs]

18. Meanwhile, Michigan and other states are contemplating letting violent offenders like murderers,

rapists, and sex offenders out early to save money.

You know how they can save money? Don't jail shoplifters for 7+ years, and stop arresting people that have weed. That saves $25,000 a year per person, plus $25,000 per person for the initial arrest and prosecution.

[scottsoperson]

19. most americans don't really believe in forgiveness...

...

[FiveGoodMen]

20. !

:mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke: :mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke: :mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke: :mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke: :mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke: :mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke: :mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke: :mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke: :mad: :puke: :grr: :nuke:

[Stuckinthebush]

21. They should make a musical like this

Where a guy steals some food maybe to feed his family or because he is poor and needs to eat. He is threatened with life in prison. Then he runs and is relentlessly pursued by a law officer.

Maybe add a kid in there with a good singing voice.

That'd be cool.

[radhika]

22. Popular CA Vote Reaffirmed this Nightmare

My state is massively dysfunctional. Originally 3-Strikes was 'marketed' as a way to keep dangerous, violent felons in prison for life after a third conviction. It passed. But before implementation, in the wee, wee hours of Sacramento, 'someone' changed the text to include a whole set of vague 3-strikey kinda things that could arbitrarily be prosecuted as federal crimes (damaging a postal truck) or just plain serious (whatever the fu*king DA in the red-neck red counties decide it is this week).

As the horrors of lost lives and budget dollars piled up, citizens put together a Ballot Initiative to revise the law to its original intent. For months, polls showed it would pass. Near the election, prison guard unions, cops and the corporate industrial complex waged a fear campaign. Schwarzenegger pushed to keep the old law. Hence, the madness continues.

California could be beautiful - but the people here suck. Fortunately, the collapsed economy is making it easier for me to split. If only a decent job elsewhere would present:)

[Hell Hath No Fury]

23. Our 3 strikes law is bullshit.

It always has been. Non-violent property offenses do not dserve anything like a life sentance -- and I say this as someone who has been the victim several times of just such crimes.

As for violent offenses -- one crime, do you time, two crimes, you're outta here.

[MUAD_DIB]

25. If he was hungry then he should have done what other people do.

He should have walked around the store and sampled the goods like I have seen other assholes do then exit without paying.


The length of the sentence is ridiculous. He should have been made to collect the shopping carts for a few days.

[bkozumplik]

26. he wasnt even stealing good cheese

shredded tillamook cheddar, for christs sake. the man is obviously insane, let him go.

but seriously, I dont want to pay for this guy to sit in a cell. So he steals cheese. so frickin what. You cant end a problem like theft. You cant even fight it.

you just *can't*. Its a fact of human nature.

[Wanet]

27. I live in Woodland

The CA Three Strikes law has lead to many inhumane sentences and overcrowded prisons. At least Woodland cheese is safe now with this man in prison....

[Name removed]

28. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Flaneur]

32. What does that have to do with anything?

Are you on strange drugs?

[DesertDiamond]

29. O!! MII F!! G!!!

[naaman fletcher]

30. Prosecute the bankers, and give this guy 10 hours of community service. nt

[Gormy Cuss]

31. Because being in prison will help him manage his bipolar disorder...

:sarcasm:

Unless he beat up somebody on his way out the door, NO prison time is warranted for stealing a package of cheese. Even keeping him in the county lockup for a few days will cost the state more than the price of the cheese.

[dipsydoodle]

33. Sounds like

Les Miserables.x(

[michreject]

34. I wonder if he was this guys buddy

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7820525

[OneBlueSky]

35. seems like every day I read something new that causes me to go . . .

"What the fuck???" . . . this is today's . . .