Re: High Crimes Are Misdemeanors/Information

[Robert Hoffmann <escape@alt-escape.com>]

At 08:26 PM 7/27/99 -0400, Philip Cooper wrote:
>GM, strongly concur.  The crime should be a felony.

What if the person had only killed one cat?  Should that be a felony?

Remember, each killing is already a separate misdemeanor offence.  I don't
know the maximum punishment (maybe Dan Weaver or someone can let us know),
but let's say each offence has a maximum punishment of a $5,000 fine and/or
3 months in jail.  Someone with a clean record who is then convicted of one
such crime probably wouldn't get the max.  But someone convicted of
numerous related (similar) crimes may just get the book thrown at them.
The aggregate punishment of those offences already adds up to felony-type
time in prison, and massive fines.

On the other hand, if EACH offense were a felony, you could probably expect
such a person to spend twenty-to-life in jail.  I just don't see it.  I
don't find that to be commensurate with the crime.  Furthermore, I don't
want my tax dollars to go for the lifetime food, lodging & medical care of
someone who went on a cat killing spree.  The person needs some punishment,
but probably a good head shrinker more than anything else.

And when the person is caught, I suspect counselling will indeed have a
major share of the sentence.



Bob Hoffmann                         229 East C St., Suite B
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