Man never told to report to prison.

[Hilander]

ST. LOUIS (AP) — After he was convicted of armed robbery in 2000, Cornealious Anderson was sentenced to 13 years behind bars and told to await instructions on when and where to report to prison. But those instructions never came.

Armed robber was never told to report to prison

I have to wonder how often something like this happens. Since it did though and this man turned his life around, got married, became a father, started a business, I don't think they should make him serve his time now. He was stopped for speeding, renewed his drivers license so its not like he was hiding from them. If he was still committing crimes it would be different.

What do you think about this? Should he serve his time or go free?

 

[Pugz]

Seems like he made a desperate and stupid mistake a long time ago, no one was injured and he has proved that he poses no harm to the public, which he would probably have to do at a parole hearing anyway; they might as well just call it quits and let him live his life.

 

[dDave]

That's kind of ridiculous.

The purpose of prison is to rehabilitate, not to punish. He doesn't need any rehabilitation. In fact, he's doing far better than a lot of people that don't have anything like armed robbery on their records. I honestly believe that going to prison would do more harm than good in this situation. He obviously turned his life around just fine without the help of the system.

Also, how in the world does someone get sentenced to 13 years for fake armed robbery? That seems a bit excessive to me.

Seems like he made a desperate and stupid mistake a long time ago, no one was injured and he has proved that he poses no harm to the public, which he would probably have to do at a parole hearing anyway; they might as well just call it quits and let him live his life.

This is how I feel as well. He made no attempt to run, committed no more crimes, and is living a normal life. 90% or more of people that DO go to prison don't fix their lives like that.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Well, actually prison is also to punish. And while it may have been a BB gun it's still armed robbery since he used it as a real gun and the victim subjectively thought it was a gun, it's still armed robbery.

This is a clerical error by the state. He didn't run and made no effort to hide. He was even pulled over and there was no indication that he should have been in prison. The state messed up and he should be free.

 

[Dr4gon]

Nobody should have arrested him and took him to prison since he stopped commiting crimes. Its the people that shoulda told him to report that should be investigated or even arrested. Maybe it was a clerical error or maybe it wasnt. Somebody coulda helped him go free.

 

[Hilander]

What I find worrisome is how often does this happen. In this case the guy turned his life around but what about someone that doesn't and just keeps committing crimes.

 

[Pugz]

I think if he, or anyone, kept committing crimes they would have pulled up the record and figured it out sooner.

I can't imagine a background check for a traffic offence would reveal much anyway.

 

[Hilander]

Sometimes they aren't caught for years.

If a cop pulls you over he can do a check on you from his car and find out real quick if you have any outstanding warrants or have a record.

 

[Pugz]

Yeah a record, but probably not 'attended trial on x date'; I suppose if it did the officer would have asked him about it.

 

[CaptainObvious]

Nobody should have arrested him and took him to prison since he stopped commiting crimes. Its the people that shoulda told him to report that should be investigated or even arrested. Maybe it was a clerical error or maybe it wasnt. Somebody coulda helped him go free.

He was sentenced to 13 years in prison however, whether he hasn't committed any other crimes isn't the issue, the issue is a clerical error.

This is what concerned me about this:

"They sent a SWAT team to his house," Anderson's attorney, Patrick Megaro, said Wednesday. "He was getting his 3-year-old daughter breakfast, and these men with automatic weapons bang on his door."

Really? A SWAT team? Why are we as taxpayers paying for these Barney Fife's and Keystone cops to play military?