Louisiana Supreme Court upholds Black man's life sentence for stealing hedge clippers more than 20 y
Source: CNN
A Black Louisiana man will spend the rest of his life in prison for stealing hedge clippers, after the Louisiana Supreme Court denied his request to have his sentence overturned last week.
Fair Wayne Bryant, 62, was convicted in 1997 on one count of attempted simple burglary. In his appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Louisiana in 2018, his attorney, Peggy Sullivan, wrote that Bryant "contends that his life sentence is unconstitutionally harsh and excessive." Last week, though, the state Supreme Court disagreed -- with five justices choosing to uphold the life sentence.
The lone dissenter in the decision was Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, who wrote that "the sentence imposed is excessive and disproportionate to the offense the defendant committed." Johnson is the only female and Black person on the court. The rest of the justices are White men.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/06/us/louisiana-supreme-court-trnd/index.html
So there you have it. Johnson pointed out the people of LA have already spent $500K housing Bryant, and that if he lives 20 more years it would double. So, the people of Louisiana will have spent a million dollars on a guy that stole a pair of hedgeclippers.
Racism sure is costly.
I'd say the Butthole of America award now passes to Louisiana.
NewDayOranges
(691 posts)For clemency. I don't know how many thousands of dollars per year it has cost taxpayers to incarcerate this man, but for a non-violent crime of theft of hedgeclippers, a life sentence CANNOT be justified...
Jedi Guy
(3,171 posts)So assuming he lives another 20 years, Louisiana taxpayers will have spent a million bucks to imprison a man for stealing something that was probably worth less than $50. In fact, probably more than that, since he'll likely need more expensive healthcare as he gets older.
Makes total sense, doesn't it? That'll teach him to steal hedge clippers, and will certainly dissuade anyone else who's tempted to do likewise!
Thekaspervote
(32,606 posts)moreland01
(735 posts)could pardon him.
bronxiteforever
(9,287 posts)AllaN01Bear
(17,384 posts)JohnnyRingo
(18,581 posts)This just seems so blatantly unfair as to be unbelievable. Simple racism doesn't even begin to cover the reason for the extended sentence.
These judges knew the world would be watching their decision so it would be foolhardy and absurd to allow racism alone rule their judgement. I can't help but think there's more to the case than a pair of hedge clippers. Maybe I'm wrong.
Sgent
(5,857 posts)LA doesn't limit strikes to violent offences -- any felony will do.
I have no idea of his background.
PatrickforO
(14,516 posts)That was the proverbial 'third strike.'
That says something to me about the stupidity of mandatory sentencing laws, for sure, because they take away all discretion from a judge. I mean, there's just something horribly wrong with a 'justice' system that sentences a man to life over a pair of hedge clippers, no matter what he'd done in the past.
JohnnyRingo
(18,581 posts)It does indeed take away judicial discretion, the very foundation of crime & punishment.
If a judge is unable to render a fair sentence based on what is presented before the bench, get rid of him instead of giving him a menu of sentences.
thesquanderer
(11,955 posts)Bryant was convicted in 1979 for attempted armed robbery, in 1987 for possession of stolen things, attempted forgery of a check worth $150 in 1989 and for simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling in 1992, all before his 1997 arrest for the failed attempt at stealing the hedge clippers.
It still doesn't justify life in prision, but it's not quite "life in prison for trying to steal hedgeclippers."
Pepsidog
(6,252 posts)they don't get anything near what this guy received as a sentence. Moreover, there appear to be long gaps in his history. In NJ you get terrible sentences for violent offenses, gun charges, and sex offenses.
I would like to read the Court's opinion to see the reasoning that supports this apparently excessive sentence.
CrispyQ
(36,235 posts)want to be mean, nasty, & spiteful to people they don't like or people they disagree with. I have some in my family.
bucolic_frolic
(42,681 posts)that lapse into antisocial personality disorder when confronted with different others. Most of the time they appear quite normal.
Yeehah
(4,525 posts)They would gladly guard concentration camps for liberals and commit genocide in the name of their fuhrer. It could happen here with such a large number of stupid, gullible people. And it's getting worse due to the malevolent influence of hate radio and hate TV,
CrispyQ
(36,235 posts)Forty years of uncontested, unchallenged hatred toward dems, feminists, minorities, & gays, spewed across rural America, & our side is silent. We're forty years behind the 8-ball on messaging & I don't see any evidence of that changing. We need a marketing department, stat!
Yeehah
(4,525 posts)But most billionaires are right wingers who want a return of feudalism.
dawg day
(7,947 posts)In fact, that would be a sensible thing for governors could do in every state, especially those with a history of racism in sentencing (which would be all of them). Find ridiculous situations like this, and commute their sentences and set them free. I'm sure every state has some poor guy who has been languishing in prison for years for some minor offense.
PatrickforO
(14,516 posts)Because this guy and probably thousands of others, should be free.
slumcamper
(1,603 posts)Review sentencing for disproportionality, by petition, while creating a national, searchable database by requiring all states to submit key info on all current and future incarcerated, e.g., number, race, violation, charge, sentence, etc.
Offer restitution to those wrongly convicted or unfairly sentenced--and get a firm handle on the racial dimension of this problem.
Create a national education and employment opportunity system for those unfairly convicted or sentenced.
Fair sentencing (and atoning for failed, racist "justice" is the least we should demand.
Someone--please do something to overcome this madness!
jaxexpat
(6,703 posts)ie: For every 3rd strike life sentence, a narcissistic jerk must serve life behind bars with them. It would improve our society and still provide that element of injustice which apparently 40% of the people can't seem to live without.
Fla Dem
(23,354 posts)Biden could do a Presidential pardon once in office.
nuxvomica
(12,366 posts)"Each of these crimes was an effort to steal something. Such petty theft is frequently driven by the ravages of poverty or addiction, and often both," Johnson wrote in her dissent. "It is cruel and unusual to impose a sentence of life in prison at hard labor for the criminal behavior which is most often caused by poverty or addiction.
greenjar_01
(6,477 posts)nuxvomica
(12,366 posts)Yet murderous Joe Arpaio got to run for office again.
BComplex
(7,984 posts)I wonder if we can put pressure where it is due?
LeftInTX
(24,560 posts)Cruel and unusual punishment?
JustGene
(421 posts)States can do this, but the law can be challenged. ACLU?
llashram
(6,265 posts)see Leenanau county official in Michigan OP and his mentality. North, south, east, west to these people a n***** is just a n***** deserving no better than the injustice done to this man. THIS IS AMERICA and always has been.
djacq
(1,633 posts)Vote.
A President can only pardon federal crimes, however the LA Governor can.
bonniebgood
(937 posts)in the prison system. Remember Governor Don Seigleman of Alabama Case. No pardon from Obama and Joe .
Illumination
(2,458 posts)Wikipedia states: "Trump has granted executive clemency to 25 individuals charged or convicted of federal criminal offenses" This is an absolute outrage!