5 ms·

seems silly to send people to prison for this

by denago 6y ago

microtherion 6y ago
As a comparison, a homeless mother who deliberately enrolled her 5-year-old in the wrong school district was sentenced to 5 years in prison: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mom-went-prison-enrolling-her-191400017.html https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mom-went-prison-enrolling-he... I would argue that the kind of bribery at the heart of this case is considerably worse, as it fosters a mentality that everything is for sale at the right price.
- CinchWrench 6y ago
  Everything _is_ for sale at the right price. So the only problem here is that they're being honest about it. There are several precedents that come to mind though, prostitution is one.
- driverdan 6y ago
  While the charges are absurd people need to stop referencing this case. She was given 5 years for the drug charges so the judge tacked on a concurrent 5 year sentence for the school charges. It has no material impact. If she didn't have the drug charges she wouldn't have been given that sentence.
  - kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
    It has an impact on parole boards.
  - nrmitchi 6y ago
    Does that not have the impact of setting a precedent the next time that someone in the region is charged with the same thing? "Well, last time, the defendant was given 5 years. Therefore, a fair sentence is 5 years". Tacking a 5 year sentence on to anything because "it doesn't matter" seems exceptionally short-sighted.
- gnicholas 6y ago
  snopes has more background on this comparison, which isn't quite as simple as it is sometimes portrayed: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tanya-mcdowell-felicity-huffman/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tanya-mcdowell-felicity-hu...
- diob 6y ago
  Neither should be offenses that cause someone to go to prison. Criminal justice reform is so badly needed in this country.
ysavir 6y ago
Eh. On the one hand, I agree. On the other hand, the wealthy have proved that unless prison is a possible punishment, they're willing and eager to repeatedly pay away their crimes.
- glaucon 6y ago
  Totally, unless they're doing time it's just a business expense.
  - onemiketwelve 6y ago
    Which is why I like the concept of percentage fines rather than constants
    - ysavir 6y ago
      Fine idea on paper, but it opens up the doors for all sorts of accounting games. You have to keep in mind that the wealthy will always afford more capable and less ethical lawyers and accountants than the public.
sumedh 6y ago
So do you think cheating is ok and should not be punished?

seems silly to send people to prison for this

by denago 6y ago

seems silly to send people to prison for this

As a comparison, a homeless mother who deliberately enrolled her 5-year-old in the wrong school district was sentenced to 5 years in prison: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mom-went-prison-enrolling-her-191400017.html https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mom-went-prison-enrolling-he... I would argue that the kind of bribery at the heart of this case is considerably worse, as it fosters a mentality that everything is for sale at the right price.

CinchWrench 6y ago
Everything _is_ for sale at the right price. So the only problem here is that they're being honest about it. There are several precedents that come to mind though, prostitution is one.
driverdan 6y ago
While the charges are absurd people need to stop referencing this case. She was given 5 years for the drug charges so the judge tacked on a concurrent 5 year sentence for the school charges. It has no material impact. If she didn't have the drug charges she wouldn't have been given that sentence.
- kevin_thibedeau 6y ago
  It has an impact on parole boards.
- nrmitchi 6y ago
  Does that not have the impact of setting a precedent the next time that someone in the region is charged with the same thing? "Well, last time, the defendant was given 5 years. Therefore, a fair sentence is 5 years". Tacking a 5 year sentence on to anything because "it doesn't matter" seems exceptionally short-sighted.
gnicholas 6y ago
snopes has more background on this comparison, which isn't quite as simple as it is sometimes portrayed: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tanya-mcdowell-felicity-huffman/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tanya-mcdowell-felicity-hu...
diob 6y ago
Neither should be offenses that cause someone to go to prison. Criminal justice reform is so badly needed in this country.

ysavir 6y ago

Eh. On the one hand, I agree. On the other hand, the wealthy have proved that unless prison is a possible punishment, they're willing and eager to repeatedly pay away their crimes.

glaucon 6y ago
Totally, unless they're doing time it's just a business expense.
- onemiketwelve 6y ago
  Which is why I like the concept of percentage fines rather than constants
  - ysavir 6y ago
    Fine idea on paper, but it opens up the doors for all sorts of accounting games. You have to keep in mind that the wealthy will always afford more capable and less ethical lawyers and accountants than the public.

sumedh 6y ago

So do you think cheating is ok and should not be punished?