On the face of it, the penalty seems a travesty of justice. A California man steals $153 worth of children's videos from two K Marts. The nine movies, including Snow White, Cinderella and Free Willy 2, are Christmas presents, he claims. Convicted of petty theft, he is sentenced to a 50-years-to-life term in prison.
But what if the man, a sometime her-oin abuser, is a chronic offender? What if he had already served four years for burglarizing three homes? And what if, after serving that time, he had been convicted of a shoplifting offense before the K Mart incidents? Does his...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
