[Buckeye Bob]

I'm sure a lot of us get upset when we see crimes committed which we feel are serious and then a judge lets them off with probation and a minimal fine. People ask who the judges are letting these people off so easy. Listed below is how to find out who these lenient judges are so that we can vote them out when the opportunity arises.

1. Go to Sumter County Clerk of the Courts
2. Click on Public Records
3. Click on Court Records
4. Select Public
5. Agree with the disclaimer
6. Enter the perps name and select all records

The lenient judges name will be listed.

[Happinow]

It must be frustrating for the policeman who arrest these people. They do their job to take them off the streets and the judge puts them right back out there.

[Paper1]

Not to get political but you need to pay for jails by raising taxes. I believe costs are the big driver in sentencing.

[Buckeye Bob]

Perhaps the wrong people are going to jail (non-violent offenders). The specific case that drew my ire was in the other newspaper. It had to do with the guy punching a grandfather when the guy was making inappropriate advances to his granddaughters.

[Jim 9922]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Bob

Perhaps the wrong people are going to jail (non-violent offenders). The specific case that drew my ire was in the other newspaper. It had to do with the guy punching a grandfather when the guy was making inappropriate advances to his granddaughters.

In comparison, the cops can drum up over $300 in fines for going 22 MPH in your golf cart, and you have to go to good drivers school, and get your cart adjusted. At least you don't have to serve probation!

[dillywho]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Bob

I'm sure a lot of us get upset when we see crimes committed which we feel are serious and then a judge lets them off with probation and a minimal fine. People ask who the judges are letting these people off so easy. Listed below is how to find out who these lenient judges are so that we can vote them out when the opportunity arises.

1. Go to Sumter County Clerk of the Courts
2. Click on Public Records
3. Click on Court Records
4. Select Public
5. Agree with the disclaimer
6. Enter the perps name and select all records

The lenient judges name will be listed.

Believe it or not, probation is sometimes the better sentence. At least I know how it works in Texas.

I was on the jury in a child molestation case. All but one of us wanted to give him 20 years. With the one hold-out, we ended up sentencing him to 20 years probation, rather than result in a hung jury. After the trial, the DA told us that we gave him the best sentence we could have. He told us that had we given him 20 years, he would be out in 4, tops. With probation, if he violated his probation then he would be jailed for the remainder of his probation. He also told us that he could not tell us during the trial that ole Gilbert had been messing with every kid in the family for years. He said that we could count on him violating pretty quickly.

Another case involved a murder with a motor vehicle. That kid got off with probation on that one, as well. He promptly violated that probation out drinking with some college kids and was caught. Judge Lopez sent him straight to prison, and jailed/fined his dad for lying for him. His crime: He had run over a punk kid named Brian Deneke (research the name) because he didn't like the way he looked. Dustin Camp was one of the preppie kids riding around and drinking in his daddy's Cadillac one night. He deliberately ran over Brian in a parking lot.

[perrjojo]

I too am outraged by seeing case after case of probation but then again I wonder where we would put all of these people? There is just so much jail/prison space. I wish we didn't have so many perps in our society.

[Buckeye Bob]

Originally Posted by dillywho

Believe it or not, probation is sometimes the better sentence. At least I know how it works in Texas.

I was on the jury in a child molestation case. All but one of us wanted to give him 20 years. With the one hold-out, we ended up sentencing him to 20 years probation, rather than result in a hung jury. After the trial, the DA told us that we gave him the best sentence we could have. He told us that had we given him 20 years, he would be out in 4, tops. With probation, if he violated his probation then he would be jailed for the remainder of his probation. He also told us that he could not tell us during the trial that ole Gilbert had been messing with every kid in the family for years. He said that we could count on him violating pretty quickly.

Another case involved a murder with a motor vehicle. That kid got off with probation on that one, as well. He promptly violated that probation out drinking with some college kids and was caught. Judge Lopez sent him straight to prison, and jailed/fined his dad for lying for him. His crime: He had run over a punk kid named Brian Deneke (research the name) because he didn't like the way he looked. Dustin Camp was one of the preppie kids riding around and drinking in his daddy's Cadillac one night. He deliberately ran over Brian in a parking lot.

This particular thug had been arrested twice before for battery. Once he was given 3 years probation but they ended his probation a year later.

[Jima64]

Saying thst it was better for a molester to be out on probation so he could again molest and be sentenced is ridiculous. Have you any personal experience of family members suffering. So shameful to think that way.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Buckeye Bob

Perhaps the wrong people are going to jail (non-violent offenders). The specific case that drew my ire was in the other newspaper. It had to do with the guy punching a grandfather when the guy was making inappropriate advances to his granddaughters.

I remember that incident and some of us were not so sure about what actually happened.

[dillywho]

Originally Posted by Jima64

Saying thst it was better for a molester to be out on probation so he could again molest and be sentenced is ridiculous. Have you any personal experience of family members suffering. So shameful to think that way.

Yes, I do have the experience, unfortunately. He did not have to molest again to break his probation. Any misstep would break it, even just being late for his probation check-in would be reason for revocation. They were going to be watching him like a hawk looking for ANY reason to revoke. Was it ideal? No, but being out for months awaiting a new trial because of a hung jury was worse. Being acquitted would have been even worse than that. Being out in less than 20 years would, too. Personally, I would have preferred to see him thrown into the jail population with prisoners who hate child molesters and the key thrown away.

Unfortunately, there are too many people who serve on juries simply because they have to and just want to get it over with and vote not guilty. Many jurors cannot make a decision, period. Many, like our one hold-out, have personal reasons for not voting guilty or for harsh punishments. Her brother had been in prison and she said that she would never vote to send anyone to prison. We had two in the murder trial I served on that held out for self-defense even though the other guy was clearly unarmed. The shooter admitted he shot him because he called him a racial slur. This was a black-on-black murder with an all white jury. We ended up in a hung jury and the guy took a plea deal rather than go back to another trial.

[theorem painter]

I was a probation officer in New York for 35 years so I know more about this than most. First I want to say what we know about a criminal case is what we read in the paper and that may or may not be true. It isn't fair to say a sentence is too lenient or too harsh based on the limited amount of information that we can get from the news. The people that work in the Criminal Justice System are here to protect the community and they do a good job of it with the restrictions that they have. I constantly read comments that "he should have gotten 10 years, they should have thrown the book at him, etc." But would you want your taxes to rise to pay for new prisons. Probably not. Sentencing a criminal is based on numerous factors and that is what I did for a living. I did investigations on presentenced criminals and made a recommendation to the Court based on background checks, social circumstances, risk to the community and victim impact. It is a system of graduated sanctions meaning that the first time offender is going to get community service, then Probation and finally jail time. Believe me, Probation is not easy. You have to report to someone regularly, give urine samples for drugs and alcohol, have a Probation Officer show up at your house any time, day or night, go to substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence and/or sex offender treatment. You can't leave your county of residence without permission. The list goes on and on. Don't think that because someone is on Probation that they are getting off.

I also want to say that most sentences are the result of a plea bargain and the reasons behind that plea bargain are not known to the public nor should they be. It might not be a strong case, the victim may not want to prosecute, etc. Don't assume the Judge is lenient because you don't agree with his sentence when you really know nothing about what went into his decision.

[Paper1]

Originally Posted by theorem painter

I was a probation officer in New York for 35 years so I know more about this than most. First I want to say what we know about a criminal case is what we read in the paper and that may or may not be true. It isn't fair to say a sentence is too lenient or too harsh based on the limited amount of information that we can get from the news. The people that work in the Criminal Justice System are here to protect the community and they do a good job of it with the restrictions that they have. I constantly read comments that "he should have gotten 10 years, they should have thrown the book at him, etc." But would you want your taxes to rise to pay for new prisons. Probably not. Sentencing a criminal is based on numerous factors and that is what I did for a living. I did investigations on presentenced criminals and made a recommendation to the Court based on background checks, social circumstances, risk to the community and victim impact. It is a system of graduated sanctions meaning that the first time offender is going to get community service, then Probation and finally jail time. Believe me, Probation is not easy. You have to report to someone regularly, give urine samples for drugs and alcohol, have a Probation Officer show up at your house any time, day or night, go to substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence and/or sex offender treatment. You can't leave your county of residence without permission. The list goes on and on. Don't think that because someone is on Probation that they are getting off.

I also want to say that most sentences are the result of a plea bargain and the reasons behind that plea bargain are not known to the public nor should they be. It might not be a strong case, the victim may not want to prosecute, etc. Don't assume the Judge is lenient because you don't agree with his sentence when you really know nothing about what went into his decision.

Thank you for sharing your expertise with us. We have been known to wander off the reservation due to lack of facts. Must have been and interesting career.

[skylane8]

Originally Posted by theorem painter

I was a probation officer in New York for 35 years so I know more about this than most. First I want to say what we know about a criminal case is what we read in the paper and that may or may not be true. It isn't fair to say a sentence is too lenient or too harsh based on the limited amount of information that we can get from the news. The people that work in the Criminal Justice System are here to protect the community and they do a good job of it with the restrictions that they have. I constantly read comments that "he should have gotten 10 years, they should have thrown the book at him, etc." But would you want your taxes to rise to pay for new prisons. Probably not. Sentencing a criminal is based on numerous factors and that is what I did for a living. I did investigations on presentenced criminals and made a recommendation to the Court based on background checks, social circumstances, risk to the community and victim impact. It is a system of graduated sanctions meaning that the first time offender is going to get community service, then Probation and finally jail time. Believe me, Probation is not easy. You have to report to someone regularly, give urine samples for drugs and alcohol, have a Probation Officer show up at your house any time, day or night, go to substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence and/or sex offender treatment. You can't leave your county of residence without permission. The list goes on and on. Don't think that because someone is on Probation that they are getting off.

I also want to say that most sentences are the result of a plea bargain and the reasons behind that plea bargain are not known to the public nor should they be. It might not be a strong case, the victim may not want to prosecute, etc. Don't assume the Judge is lenient because you don't agree with his sentence when you really know nothing about what went into his decision.

I like to base my opinions on fact. Unfortunately on subjects like this I thought I was. Thank you for this information. I may not like the crime, but now have a better understanding of the system.

[Cedwards38]

Some more facts on US incarceration:

The Sentencing Project News - Incarceration