Man gets 50-year sentence for rib theft

[TexasTowelie]

WACO, Texas (AP) — A jury has sentenced a Waco man convicted of stealing a rack of ribs to 50 years in prison.

Forty-three-year-old Willie Smith Ward was convicted and sentenced on robbery charges Wednesday. The Waco Tribune-Herald (http://bit.ly/15jX8iI ) reports that Ward's theft of the $35 rack of pork ribs turned into a robbery after he threatened a grocery store employee who tried to stop him in 2011.

The employee testified that Ward told him he had a knife.

The jury recommended Ward be sentenced as a habitual criminal. Ward has previous felony convictions for burglary, attempted robbery, aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of cocaine, and four misdemeanor convictions, including two thefts.

More at http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/texas/article/Man-gets-50-year-sentence-for-rib-theft-4561201.php .

[BainsBane]

1. Les Miserables

Here we are.

[rocktivity]

2. The headline makes it sounds like an overreaction to shoplifting

The employee testified that he asked Ward what was under the shirt and the slab of ribs fell to the ground. He asked Ward what else he was hiding and Ward said, “I got a knife.”

The employee told Ward, “Now you just turned a ticket into a 
serious crime.”

It doesn't mention that he threatened someone, nor does it point out that he's not a first offender.


rocktivity

[noiretextatique]

4. 50 years for stealing a $35.00 package of ribs

and telling an employee he had a knife. is that a reasonable sentence to you?

[rocktivity]

10. He wanted the employee to believe that he'd be injured if he intervened

That's intent -- and robbery.


rocktivity

[noiretextatique]

14. you did not answer my question

rich white men can start illegal wars and kill hundred of thousands while profitting from said illegal war. but steal $35.00 and make a threat...50 years in prison. this is a sick, sick soceity.

[DreamGypsy]

11. The whole story doesn't really pluck my heartstrings ...

No mention I could find about the defendant's attorney, if any, court-ordered or otherwise. But some poor decisions were made.

A slightly more detailed report here:

The employee told Ward, “Now you just turned a ticket into a 
serious crime.”

“If you don’t leave me alone, I’ll show you what I got,” Ward said, according to the employee’s testimony. Ward then ran off.

Ward has previous felony convictions for burglary, attempted robbery, aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of cocaine and four misdemeanor convictions, including two thefts.

He will have to serve at least a quarter of his sentence before he becomes 
eligible for parole.

A court official said Ward rejected a 20-year prison sentence in a plea offer from prosecutors 
before trial.

So, there was a presumed threat, although the only charge was apparently robbery. Bunch of other convictions. Not taking the plea deal didn't turn out too well...could have meant only five years, assuming the deal wasn't 'without parole'. He could be eligible for parole in 12.5 years.

[NYC_SKP]

3. I'm certain that this is a black man, before I even go to the article. Let me check. nt

[NYC_SKP]

5. OK, sure enough, I was right here he is:

Because in this country, a rich white man can steal billions and murder thousands and get his own talk show and book deal.

Pic won't link due to URL characters.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xdfpAGJMo8I/Uadn6GpZanI/AAAAAAAAHHk/nO6Gsz8LgB8/s1600/Willie+Smith+Ward+Waco+Texas.jpg
http://waconewsbeat.blogspot.com/

[AnotherMcIntosh]

7. .

[LeftInTX]

13. I was thinking the same thing!

[noiretextatique]

6. start an illegal was that kills millions

and get a pension for life and a presidential library. steal $35.00 worth of ribs and go to jail for 50 years. justus, american style

[Mosby]

8. did "three strikes" law play a part in this?

Last edited Thu May 30, 2013, 06:10 PM - Edit history (2)

Couple years ago a guy in CA shoplifted a 4 dollar package of cheese and got 7 years in prison. He had 2 priors from 15-20 years ago.

Our "criminal justice" system is completely fucked up.

[TexasTowelie]

9. Probably so.

The newspaper article stated, "a court official said Ward rejected a 20-year prison sentence in a plea offer from prosecutors 
before trial."

[ladjf]

12. Fifty years in prison at 30,000 per year will amount to 1.5 million. Was getting the guy off the

streets worth 1.5 million to society? (It might cost more that 35,000 per yr.)

[mbperrin]

15. Actually, it costs about $18,000 per year in Texas.

$50.79 per day.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/08/14/162208/texas-has-nations-largest-prison.html#.UagIcdLVBrM

He'll serve 12 years or about $210,000 worth. In his first 25 years of adult life, depending on the injuries and damage he caused in the accident he ran away from, just one of his charges, he very likely caused that much damage - doesn't take much medical to add up to a couple of hundred thousand.

So it's rational he's in jail. The answer is not to turn dangerous, irresponsible people loose - the answer is to jail big time dangerous, irresponsible people like the bankers, con men, and other financial criminals proportionally - so life without the possibility of parole, or really, execution for some of them - like rabid dogs, we can't take the chance.

Not nearly enough people are locked up - those are the ones everyone is complaining about upthread, and me, too. Let's get after them instead of just letting all criminals run free - smacks of the gun-lover argument that since laws are not 100% effective, just dump them.