This is shameful. These people are victims, not looters.

[valerief]

The looters are in DC.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/06/29/looters.sentenced.ap/index.html

KENNER, Louisiana (AP) -- Three people convicted of hauling away liquor, wine and beer from a grocery store after Hurricane Katrina were sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.

The judge said he wanted to send a message that looting would not be tolerated when he gave the maximum sentence to Coralnelle Little, 36, Rhonda McGowen, 42, and Paul C. Pearson, 36, all of Kenner.

[raccoon]

1. This is shameful. 15 years for these people, and the people

who sat on their hands in DC--nothing.

Imagine an alternate universe where Junior is stealing alcohol from a liquor store in N.O. after the flood...

[hpot]

2. Video: Bush knew about Katrina yet he did nothing

F^(*& ^%*&%*& intentionally sat on his ass and allowed people to die.

Video shows Bush Katrina warning
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4765058.stm

[Yollam]

3. Hmmm....

Where have I seen this story before? Hmm...

[valerief]

5. I'm not very good at searching. Sorry if I duped the story. n/t

[Yollam]

8. Don't worry. It's a good post.

The last time it was posted, it was deleted as "flamebait" :eyes:.

But I think the way you presented it, it should be okay.



I hope. :yoiks:

[MADem]

4. Well, I can understand wanting to have a little snort after your house

is flooded...but this is a lotta booze:
They were convicted of attempting to leave the grocery with 27 bottles of liquor and wine, six cases of beer and one case of wine coolers, six days after Katrina made landfall.

OTOH, I agree with this attorney's assessment:

"We believe the sentence is excessive," said Netterville.

Hell, you can KILL a man in MASSACHUSETTS and do less time!

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403E5D71E3BF932A25751C0A9659C8B63&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fS%2fSentences%20%28Criminal%29

[valerief]

6. I think you'd get all the liquor you could, too, if you weren't allowed

to leave ravaged NO. I don't care how much they stole, it's a little liquor. It's not like they were raiding the war chest of billions of dollars and thousands of lives.

[MADem]

9. I think a fine, probation and restitution to the store owner might have

been an appropriate sentence. I agree that the Monkey is a liar and a thief, but this isn't about him.

[valerief]

12. Oh, I thought the Monkey was in charge of the military that kept

NO residents from escaping its borders. I also thought he was the buck-stopper of FEMA. I thought since he has the power to invade Iraq, not comply with Congressional bills, and poo-poo the Geneva Convention, he was the mucky-muck in charge.

[MADem]

20. Heck, in charge, he wasn't even aware for the longest time!!!!!

Too busy eating cake and strumming a gee-tar to give a damn about the poor souls in NOLA...

[spanone]

7. Meanwhile bushco looted the American treasury to the tune of 1.6 BILLION

in NO.

[lonestarnot]

15. Exactly.

[lindisfarne]

10. I don't disagree with most statements others have made but these people

are looters. If they were stealing food or water, I'd argue they aren't looters. But they were stealing alcohol. Yes, the sentence was harsh given the crime. Probably will be appealed and shortened.

[pitohui]

11. these people are looters and belong gone from my area

you live in kenner? you ever lived there? there's another entire thread on LBN on the same subject, and it seems to me the people in the thread be-moaning the sentence are NOT locals

the judge needed to send the message that was sent

too many people are already saying they wouldn't evacuate again because little or nothing is done to stop the looting, looters create a climate of fear that make people afraid to obey evacuation orders and hence put those people in additional danger

once you've been in this situation, you will understand why no local jury is going to real sympathetic w. looters

[lonestarnot]

16. I see your side also, but the first day in prison is the only rehab anyone

ever gets.

[pitohui]

22. i don't care abt the rehab of looters

once you've had to leave your home, and not just your home, but your neighborhood, and not just your neighborhood, but your town, and not just your town, but half of your state, open and helpless while you flee disaster, you get a different perspective on things

most of the looters, overwhelmingly most, have gotten away with it, there MUST be draconian punishment for the few who are caught to serve as some pathetic deterrant to these predatory opportunitists

while my friends were drowning in their own attic, these people were a few miles away loading up the shopping cart to open their own bar (look at the quantities they were taking!)

i simply don't care abt them, i need the message sent nationwide that looters are not welcome here and if they are caught, it will be bad for them

like i said in the other thread, when i was able to return from evacuation and saw the large handmade sign that said "looters will be shot on sight" i was not upset -- i was relieved -- because i knew my neighborhood had been defended, and i'm afraid we ALL felt this way

it is bad enough that god and weather try to destroy us but for human predators to add insult to injury, well, such predators should get very harsh sentences, it isn't just the booze they stole, it's the peace of mind and the freedom of people to evacuate without fear

frankly i don't give one tiny damn abt looters, they have forfeited any claim to humanity in my book, at a time when everyone else pulled together -- they were seeking self and profit -- why should i feel pity for those who are incapable of caring abt anyone except themselves

[Catherine Vincent]

13. That's just ridiculous!

I'm not saying they shouldn't be punished but this is definitely excessive. 15 freaking years for stealing booze! There are people that have killed and received less time than that. And if this judge wants to make an example of these three, what makes him think the next catastrophe elsewhere that this sentencing will deter other looters from changing their mind? It won't! Looters will continue to loot just like murderer's will continue to murder in spite of the death penalty.

[pitohui]

24. well in that case

if looters will continue to loot, i would support the death penalty for looters

seriously

they can not, must not, be tolerated in hurricane country and at least that is 3 gone away who won't be looting us next time

jeez, it can't seriously be a progressive issue to sympathize w. the damn looters, now?

[lonestarnot]

14. Appeal! Cruel and unusual punishment!

[Beelzebud]

17. Welcome to America.

If you're Haliburton, it's ok to rip of literally BILLIONS of dollars.

If you took some beer from walmart: Get your ass in jail for the next couple of decades.

[valerief]

19. When people start stealing gas in huge amounts, there will be

townsquare hangings.

[MADem]

21. It's already happening!!!

The gas theft, not the hangings!

I remember back in the EVEN ODD gas crisis, that people would siphon gas from tanks in the dark of night. Then, people wised up and got locking gas caps, so the thieves would go under the cars and puncture the gas tank to drain out the fuel. Now, they're using DRILLS to get the gas out, and every so often, a car explodes because of a spark....

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-06-30-gas-thefts_x.htm
Thefts of fuel from service stations are rising with the price of gasoline, and states are cracking down with stiffer penalties for pump-and-run pirates....In Miami, 55 have been arrested in a theft ring that siphoned fuel from tanks...


http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=state&id=4171971

Thieves are sinking to new lows to deal with the rising gas prices. In San Francisco and in San Jose, a gallon of gas will cost you about $3.33. Oakland drivers pay a few pennies less -- $3.31 a gallon. Now a new crime has developed, fueled by these prices.

Thieves are sinking to a new low -- they're tapping gas tanks on cars to steal supplies of gasoline. The practice is frustrating car owners in California.

It's a tiny hole costing a big chunk of change.
Anthony Vera, gas theft victim: "It takes about $600 to replace that tank. It is very sad."
Sad that Anthony Vera says thieves have resorted to drilling straight into gas tanks in order to steal fuel.

Anthony Vera, gas theft victim: "I drove around the neighborhood to see if anyone else had anything similar, and just noticed a couple Dodge 1500's just like mine that had the same thing. They just took a drill and went right here." .....

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. That's a long sentence for what basically amounts to...

shoplifting.

[pitohui]

23. looting is not shoplifting

looters kill because people are afraid to comply w. mandatory evac orders because of the looters, simple as that

i am amazed that people don't see it, but if you lived in louisiana, you would see it in a heartbeat

[Texasgal]

25. I agree with you 100%

This wasn't about simply "shoplifting" This was about people taking advantage of a situation. These people stole while the city was vulenerable. How shitty can you be? With residents stuck in their houses or dying in their attics and you and couple of friends decide to LOOT a liquor store?

I think the sentence is worthy. Fuck people who do that.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. Oh, now they killed people?

That's odd, I thought they simply lifted some items from a shop.

[slackmaster]

26. False dichotomy

They are victims AND they are looters.

I agree the sentences are excessive.

[progressivebydesign]

28. You're joking right... you can't eat liquor. n/t

[Fountain79]

29. Again these people are NOT victims...

there is no need for people to rob a grocery store of alcohol.