74 Year Old Man Spends 71 Days In Jail For Forgetting To Pay For 2 Hot Dogs

[matcom]

<snip>

Hear about the guy who spent 71 days in jail for stealing two hot dogs from a Wichita QuikTrip?

Wait. He didn't steal the hot dogs, he just forgot to pay for them. Twelve people took two days off to serve jury duty last week, heard the evidence, and found the guy not guilty.

"It was stupid," said presiding juror Krysti Mason, 21.

This is no joke. The case of Thomas M. Wimberly, a 74-year-old veteran living on Social Security, highlights both inconsistencies in the law and the experiences of poor people in the criminal justice system.

Wimberly sat in jail unable to make bond, $100,000 at one point, charged with a crime that -- even if he'd been convicted -- brings no time behind bars, only probation.

The hot dogs cost $2.11, "with tax," assistant store manager Jeff Dalke testified.

A bill tied up in the state Legislature would clear up a law that leads to cases like Wimberly's and frustrates prosecutors.

Kansas law requires felony prosecution for crimes such as petty theft if the suspect has had two prior convictions.

http://www.kansas.com/196/story/39344.html

[skygazer]

1. Our tax dollars at work

I was once taken to court for bouncing a check for $15. This was in New Hampshire, a very strange place. The store never called or wrote to me (I didn't know the check had bounced until I got a notice from the bank after my arrest - a finance charge had put me over by a matter of cents) - their policy was prosecution no matter what.

I had to go to court 3 times before it was cleared up - can't remember why now but for some reason, the date kept being changed and I kept having to go back.

Made no sense at all.

[wildhorses]

2. this is obscene

:puke:

[Initech]

3. Yet another result of having too many lawyers...

:eyes:

[SteppingRazor]

4. Or, alternatively, the result of too many politicians needing to look "tough on crime" n/t

[Initech]

5. There's always that.