Every time you turn on the television there always seems to be another wealthy or known named person getting arrested. What’s even worse is when you see they are getting a slap on the wrist for serious crimes. It seems to becoming more and more popular that wealthy and privileged people are getting away with minor sentences for serious crimes. There are two great examples of wealthy privileged Americans getting minor sentences for serious crimes.
There was a 16-year-old, Ethan Couch, from a well-off family from Texas that was three times over the legal alcohol limit and killed four people in a car crash. The prosecutors found 20 years in prison to be appropriate for the crime. However, the judge thought it was more reasonable to give
…show more content…
Robert went to court and was convicted of raping a three-year-old. However, he didn’t go to jail from the conviction. The judge ordered him to eight years of probation and to register as a sex offender. The judge released a statement saying he allowed Richards to remain free because he didn’t think Richards would “fare well behind bars.” It is obvious that his title of who he is had an effect on why he would or wouldn’t fare well behind bars. Granted usually child molesters are at the bottom of the food chain in prison, none of them are convicted and let free because they wouldn’t fare well. Saying someone doesn’t belong in prison because they wouldn’t fare well after committing a serious crime should be a crime in itself. People don’t go to prison to have a good time, its for when you break the law and have to pay the consequences. These two examples are a few of many wealthy Americans who have received a minor sentence for a major crime. Having more money than most or a name that everyone knows shouldn’t determine how your sentencing is going to go if convicted of a crime. Punishment for a serious crime should always have serious
Reading about Ronald Georgie Whetzel Jr., being in jail for next 40 years is a “hard pill to swallow”. Sadly, I agree with the court decision to sentence him to 40 years in jail. Whetzel Jr. commit took part in an armed home invasion and that cannot be excused. I am aware at time this event occurred he was 17 years old and had a difficult family upbringing. His mother is serving a sentence for forgery and related offenses.
The case People v. Smith was finally decided by the Supreme Court of Michigan in 1991. The case involved the defendant Ricky Franklin Smith whom pled guilty to breaking and entering and of being a habitual offender, fourth offense (People v Smith, 1991). The judge sentenced Smith to 6 to 30 years imprisonment for the Habitual Offender charge. Ricky Franklin Smith after sentencing requested to be resentenced because his juvenile record, which had been expunged, was considered by the judge for sentencing. The Michigan Court of Appeals agreed with the sentencing; however, when the case went to the Supreme Court of Michigan, they reversed the decision because the sentencing should not have been based on the defendant’s prior expunged juvenile record.
That being said,I agree with Gideon that people who aren't able to afford a lawyer who has the knowledge and capability to properly defend them,should be provided one. The legal system should not have anything to do with your social status or financial status. I feel like the law should also go for people paying money to avoid a jail sentence. Some people can't afford to pay any money to avoid jail or other punishments,so they get sent to jail and then they have a record. Instead of having people pay money for their offenses,there needs to be more creative punishments,or community service.
Brendan Dassey, 16 years old, being tried for Rape and the murder of Teresa Halbach. The question I ask of you is: Should Brendan have been charged as an adult for committing his crimes? I believe 100% that he was correctly tried as an adult. Brendan knew what he was doing at the age of 16, and could’ve said no to doing his crimes, but he didn’t. Brendan Dassey knew what he was doing, but he didn’t stop his actions.
Please, judge, put him where he belongs.” Holmes County Assistant Prosecutor Steve Knowling said he agreed with her request. “I can 't imagine a better case that calls for imprisonment,”
A prison sentence is designed to punish people who break Society’s laws, but that isn’t always the case. In March of 2016, Star Student athlete Brock Turner at Stanford College was convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious and intoxicated woman behind a dumpster, while he also was intoxicated, he was possibly facing ten years. June 2nd, 2016, Turner was sentenced to 6 months in Jail by Judge Aaron Persky, his reason being that “A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him. I think he will not be a danger to others” (Why Brock Turner Only Got 6 Months in Jail, 1). Although his sentence was light, he also had to register as a sex offender.
However, it does not make sense that only prosecutors can keep public order without the publics best interest in a poor individual. Wealthy defendants have the ability to hire the best lawyers to represent
If a celebrity is busted for doing illegal drugs, they are immediately sent to rehab. Meanwhile, a young man without a household name or money would be spending some time in jail. Smaller scale: if a child from a middle or upper class family acts out in school, the teachers immediately first thought is that something is going on at home. If a poor child acts out or gets in trouble, many teachers are swifter to punish first instead of investigate. Times have changed, but people have not
Have you been judged on how you dress, what color you wear, or how you speak? Now just imagine that happening every day because of the simple fact that you have a different skin color. The Harlem Renaissance was approximately the birth of what we call today as racism. During the 1920 or the Renaissance time, African American were taken from the home in the deep South to work in the Northern and Midwestern states. With the birth of segregation and racism there came, riots and wrongly convicted black in the courts.
In fact, it is from the poor and the underclass that have the most prison inmates in the United States (Henslin 211). The reason the criminal justice system is so focused on the working class is because if they become enraged, it could lead to a rising of a revolt. In an effort to please the lower classes, the courts will occasionally go after the executives of corporations and give the case major publicity to provide evidence of the "fairness" of the criminal justice system (Henslin 211). Since bigger corporations don 't have a punishment to fit the crime, their white-collar crimes are continued. Whereas, the poor 's punishment for minor crimes cause them to believe they are truly criminals.
Wealth is a fortune you not acquire yourself but instead the money works for you. Many people start companies, make it big, then sell their business for a fortune. With this new fortune many high class people invest and save their money for generations. In Class in America it sates that, "The wealthiest 1 percent of the American population holds 34 percent of the total nation wealth" ( pg 179). The upper class people with billions of dollars and most of the countries money are called the one percent.
The judge still convicted him, and without another choice. Was killed by the electric chair. Another man was maliciously blamed for a crime by some of the people who were caught to lighten their
This issue led to what is now resulting in mass incarceration. Mass incarceration has been shown to affect mostly poor and minorities. Individuals living in poverty are not afforded the same royalties as those who are not in poverty. They are more willing to commit crimes because of their lack of fortune. The crime rate is more prone to be in urban communities, which hold a significant number of minorities.
He also did not have to register as a sex offender as Therichest.com says. If he was a “regular” person than he would have got more jail time, would have to pay a very high fine, and would have to have some sort of community service. People convicted of molestation usually has to register as a sex offender to let others and police know that there is a sex offender around them or their children, but in this situation the judge’s reasoning for letting Johnson off so easy was he had led an otherwise productive life up to this moment in time. The judge decided that Johnson had made a mistake and he realized what he had done and he was every sorry that he had done it.
(McLaughlin,Muncie and Hughes 2003:144) writes "a Labourer is 14 times more likely to go to prison than a professional" this emphasizes my point showing how corporate criminals challenge the ideas of conventional criminals as they tend to be well-educated and are not perceived as potential criminals in society. Understanding a conventional crime and the criminal who has committed it, is straightforward however the same can not be said for corporate crimes. Corporate criminals are usually individuals of upper socio-economic class who are well educated and violate the criminal law by breaching the trust placed upon them during their business activities (Whyte,2009:187). The corporate criminal challenges the conventional definitions of a criminal who is perceived to be “ignorant and stupid” and are instead “deceptive and suave”(Whyte,2009:187). An example of this is Jordan Belfont a smart, suave business-man who managed to makes millions with his illegitimate business activities, such criminals are portrayed as intelligent and cunning who do not present a direct threat to the public.