Man charged with felony, jailed on $50k cash bond for 43-cent 'theft'

[left-of-center2012]

Joseph Sobolewski stopped at a convenience store in Perry County last month where he saw a sign for 20-ounce Mountain Dew bottles: 2 for $3. He grabbed a bottle, slapped $2 on the counter and walked out. What he didn’t know was a single bottle was $2.29, not $1.50. So he had shorted the store 29 cents plus tax, or 43 cents total.

The store called police, who tracked him down.
Pennsylvania State police officers charged him with a felony, locked him up on $50,000 cash-only bond. He’s facing the possibility of up to seven years in prison. His situation highlights several serious problems in the criminal justice system, according to reform advocates: police pushing minor matters into criminal courts; magisterial district judges setting impossible high bonds; and the state’s ‘three strikes’ law’ for retail theft that doesn’t consider the value of the item in the third arrest.

Sobolewski’s first theft conviction occurred more than 10 years ago and involved a tank of gasoline. He drove off without paying. In December 2011, he was arrested for stealing a pair of shoes from a K-Mart in Cumberland County that cost $39.99. For that crime he paid more than $866 in fines and fees and was sentenced to three months in jail for a probation violation.

Now the homeless man faces the possibility of three-and-a-half years to seven years in prison for a theft of less than 50 cents.

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/09/man-charged-with-felony-jailed-on-50k-cash-bond-for-43-cent-theft.html

[LuckyCharms]

1. He faces more time than most (all?) of the capital rioters.

Makes sense.

[SheltieLover]

2. Ridiculous!

[madaboutharry]

3. This sounds like a misunderstanding.

Wonder what would have happened if it wasn’t a Black man.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. Nope, just the logical outcome of "tough on crime" policies and laws.

Which...of course uphold white supremacy.

[Jirel]

7. Um, no...

First, not a black man. Dreds and a head scarf don't change his race. Second... misunderstanding? He may have misunderstood a sign, but there was no misunderstanding by the clerk who called the police, or the prosecutors who decided to make a giant case out of a few pennies, or the judge that found him such a public threat that he'll never bail out.

[left-of-center2012]

9. "Wonder what would have happened if it wasn't a Black man"

You think 'Joseph Sobolewski' is a black man?

"Sobolewski is a Polish surname, which means a person from places in Poland called Sobolew or Sobolewo,
both derived from the Polish sobol, meaning "sable."

[madaboutharry]

10. There are black people with all kinds of names.

Jewish names, Swedish names…you don’t know what a person’s grandfather had as a last name.

[hurple]

16. Maybe the name doesn't, but the photo with the article does

He is not black.

[left-of-center2012]

19. This guy's not black

Why make it about race?

[intheflow]

28. Not to mention there are black people who can pass as white. n/t

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

40. You beat me to it because I'm mostly African American & my last name is Czech. My nephew, ( my

youngest brother's son) is a Bosnian Kosovar, (the ex-wife is Bosnian & Kosovar) & speaks 4 languages FLUENTLY. His first name is Darko & his last name is English. I don't know why people think that because we have permanent tans, naturally plump lips, round behinds & curly hair. Ukraine has ALOT of mixed people due to the numbers of black people who moved there in the 30's & married the locals...& please don't get me started on how any people I know who have fathers who are Slavic, Scandinavian,( I have Swedish & Norwegian blood myself), Jewish, (even Hasidic)...So ignorant to assume nonsense. My last name begins with 2 consonants. Thank you for trying to open eyes.

[XanaDUer2]

33. I'm not sure he's black. Nt

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

41. Umm, hate to break it to you but I'm African American and MY LAST NAME IS CZECH! Trust me, you'd

have ALL KINDS of problems trying to pronounce it as it begins with 2 consonants. Of course, since you know so much about Polish, you're aware that Polish & Czech are VERY close and is, for the most part, mutually understandable. One of My youngest brother's sons is Bosnian Kosovar & African American with the first name of DARKO but with my English maiden name. He also speaks 4 languages FLUENTLY. I speak Magyar, (Hungarian) & a smattering of a few other languages. Amazing, ain't it? Black folks can have Slavic, Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Asian, Native American, French etc surnames...but according to you, that's not possible, right? Open your eyes & your mind because you sound a WEE bit ignorant...just sayin'.

[sarisataka]

35. So who's the guy

In the picture?

[left-of-center2012]

43. "So who's the guy in the picture?"

Joseph Sobolewski, the Polish guy who got arrested.

[global1]

4. And The Insurrectionist TFG Is Living The Life Of Luxury....nt

[WhiskeyGrinder]

5. Yes yes, this definitely sounds like justice.

[malaise]

8. Did not have to look to see that he was black

There is no justice = equality my ass

[hurple]

14. There is a photo with the article.

He is not black.

So, perhaps you should have looked.

[marble falls]

30. He is wearing some natty dreds.

[jimfields33]

15. I think he's white. But regardless it's ridiculous to charge over that.

[CrispyQ]

23. And homeless. Another group some people love to hate.

When I used to take the bus, I was appalled at how the homeless were treated. And it was almost always white men who were hostile, & almost always toward a homeless man. Sometimes they'd be rude to a homeless woman, but I've seen them spit at or on homeless men, flipped them off, curse at them, refuse to let them sit by or near them. It didn't happen often, but it was shocking when it did.

I live in a pretty nice area with nice weather, & we have a lot of homeless. I think the country is much meaner than when I was a kid. Or maybe the meanness was just better disguised? IDK.

[IronLionZion]

31. Looks like a white guy with dreadlocks

although our justice system may have still treated him unfairly

[malaise]

38. Big time

Poor whites are also victims but I wrongly assumed that he was black

[questionseverything]

50. It's insane, 50 grand bail for "stealing " 49 cents

Arrested by state troopers



The three strikes law is horrific anyway but think of the waste of taxpayers paying 20 grand plus a year over 49 freaking cents

This is why we can’t have nice things

[CrispyQ]

11. This is so fucking wrong it almost makes me cry.

America has had a War on the Poor for as long as I can remember.

[DFW]

12. Even if the cops are acting like weasel dung

What kind of presiding judge hands down a judgment like THAT?

(Don't tell me, I bet I can guess....)

[StarfishSaver]

17. The judge may have no choice

I think this is a "three strikes and you're out" state - the judge has no discretion.

[left-of-center2012]

20. "three strikes and you're out"

As stated in the OP

[rsdsharp]

25. There's discretion in the bail.

A $50,000 cash bond on a 43 cent “theft” would seem to be a violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition against excessive bail.

[FakeNoose]

13. In a better world, Joseph Sobolewski would sue this store for false advertising

How is the store's failure to communicate the true price of the soda, any of his problem? He paid for the soda, he didn't steal it.

He was arrested for being a homeless man who had the nerve of coming into THAT store. All the other stuff, including the hyper-overreaction by the store clerk, the police, and the judge failing to throw this out of court - that's just BIZARRO WORLD!

[jimfields33]

18. He was in a hurry or something.

Why not wait to be rung up? You don’t throw down money and walk out. First stores need to inventory each item so when scanned, it decreases the supply. Regardless, it’s a ridiculous over blown situation.

[FakeNoose]

21. The judge should have thrown it out

[jimfields33]

22. I agree. Or have him pay the 49 cent or whatever it was.

Those 3 strikes laws need to be revolved. The judge didn’t have a choice I think.

[jmowreader]

24. We definitely need to look at these idiotic three-strikes laws

If the guy would have committed three felonies…sure, pitch his ass in jail and throw away the key.

But man, we’re talking here about three cases of petit theft, one of which is almost too insignificant to count. I don’t think the Hardened Criminal Enhancement thing was designed to cover a guy who misread a sign.

[AZLD4Candidate]

26. Javert would be proud.

[marble falls]

27. I think he needs 1 year just for that 'do rag. Nothing like keeping punishment proportonal ...

I just don't see how this isn't cruel punishment, it does seem to be awfully common.

[world wide wally]

29. This means that Trump's great great great great great great great grandchildren would

still be getting locked up with no end in sight for his crimes.
Dayum!

[IronLionZion]

32. Sounds like criminality is genetic in that family

considering his father and kids are all terrible

[left-of-center2012]

34. Why would Trump's descendants be locked up for his crimes?

[world wide wally]

36. just extrapolating on this guy's sentence

[Evolve Dammit]

37. Yeah, that's a horrific crime alright. Jeezus HC.

[marie999]

39. Unless it is clearly stated the price of a single bottle

that is totally wrong. Every store I have shopped at that is having a sale that says 2 for $3 dollars always charged me $1.50 for 1.

[left-of-center2012]

42. I've often seen it the other way

My local Smith's (Kroger's) does
"10 for $10 or $1.25 each"
on canned goods or boxes of mac & cheese.

But the newspaper circular and shelf tags tell you.

[ProfessorGAC]

44. There's A Law Here

If it's marked as a "twofer", the sign advertising it must have the single price clearly marked. That emphasis on clearly, is not mine.
The law actually specifies the % of font size required for that single price.
If it's not properly marked, the sales price of one MUST be 1/2 of the marked "twofer".
A couple big chains got hammered for this in the Chicago area back in the 90s. So, the Assembly passed a law on this and the governor signed it. Has to be at least 25 years ago.
Under this law, it's considered false or misleading advertising and tantamount to "bait & switch."
I doubt this is true in all states, though.

[left-of-center2012]

45. "There's A Law Here"

Where is 'here' ?

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Sorry. Illinois

I did mention grocers in Chicago, so I thought that was clear.
Guess not.

[left-of-center2012]

47. "I did mention grocers in Chicago"

I post about events all over the U.S., but I live in N.M.

[ProfessorGAC]

49. New Mexico

My wife still wants snow & winter, but if we ever did move away from that stuff, your state.
Blue state, pot legal.
That works for both of us!
I have a college friend that works at Sandia. Not sure what he does there, though.

[iemanja]

48. Les Miserables

Meanwhile, let someone still millions or billions, and they get a slap on the wrist.