They are upset because a 7 Cent Robbery gets a Felony Conviction? WRONG WAY TO PLAY THIS

[susiestar]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/30/anthony-stewart-7-cent-robbery_n_942036.html

As I read this it did, at first, seem stupid to sentence someone as an adult with a felony for stealing seven cents.

Then I read a bit more.

I am FURIOUS.

This should be about ASSAULT and NOT robbery. The felon's cohort in crime pled out as a youthful offender sentenced to a year. Given a chance to admit he did it, the older boy refused, even at the point he knew it would get him the lighter sentence in juvie. So the judge said refusing to admit he is guilty in the face of very clear evidence (the evidence is NOT equivocal), the young man will have a felony and be charged as an adult.

Now if it were my kid I would be upset. I might think my kid was getting a bum rap to make headlines or whatever - UNTIL I LEARNED HE BEAT UP AN OLD MAN FOR SEVEN CENTS!!!

Why is it that a felony for 7 cents makes headlines and NOT "felony for assault on an older man"?????

WTH is wrong with people? Having learned my kid beat up and old man? He owuld be BEGGING to go to juvie because Momma's house owuld be SOOOOOOO UNHAPPY for him. I guess I can see wanting your child to get a fair shake - that is normal and what everyone shoudl get.

But WHY is this about seven cents instead of the man who was beaten by a couple of wanna-be thugs tog et teh seven cents he had in his pockets?

I know how hard it can be to get a difficult child to admit to anything, but no way would I be in favor of this being presented to anyone in this light if it was my kid. It makes a joke of it - and beating up and old man is not a joke.

What is wrong with kids that they would do this and what is wrong that people would see this as about the $$ rather than the assault? Given the man's age, in my opinion it should have some type of sentence enhancement for attacking an elder - someone who should get some respect just for enduring this long!

 

[DammitJanet]

This should be attempted armed robbery. Actually not even attempted, it was armed robbery. Doesnt matter that they were BB guns. Doesnt matter that all they got was 7 cents. Too bad so sad. I think the assault brings it up a level too. Armed robbery and felony assault maybe? One and 2 years is very lenient to me. I would have given them more.

They are paying way too much attention to the amount of money and not enough on the fact that they had weapons and they assaulted someone. This little stint in juvie is just going to serve to give them an education in crime 303.

 

[flutterby]

The charge should have been about assault, but he shouldn't have been charged as an adult simply because he didn't plead guilty. That is the right of any defendant.

I'll get really worked up over this when they charge Wall Street CEO's for crashing our economy, and putting millions of people - families - out of jobs and homes and into the street.

 

[AnnieO]

The fact that he had a weapon makes it felonious assault, in my opinion.

However... He's 15.

I agree about it being a felony - but he should be labeled a youthful offender.

 

[keista]

I haven't read the article, and can't say why the court is focused more on the robbery than the assault - just guessing part of charges negotiation. As far as the writers of the article are concerned, it goes completely to shock value. The crazier the headline, the more ppl will read it.

 

[Hound dog]

I'd say armed robbery (amt doesn't matter, type of weapon doesn't matter) and felonious assault. Should be tried as an adult, but that's my own issue as I think most of today's "youthful" offenders should be tried as adults as they are no where near the "innocents" they used to be. They know what they're doing. Not sure what time that would've given them......but plea shouldn't have had a darn thing to do with it in my book. Why should one kid get a lighter sentence simply because he admitted it, he still did the crime he should do the time.