I don't know the law but this sounds excessive, couldn't they just fine him for damages? What's the reason for jail time, the identity theft dimension of the crime?
Because it essentially lets rich people pay their way out of trouble. What does a fine matter if someone is a multi-millionaire or a billionaire?
It's why people like Soros and Bill Gates and the Clintons and the Obamas continually get away with what they do.
If the idea of the justice system is that people face actual consequences for their actions, paying a fine for it doesn't really punish rich people.
But I agree with you that his sentencing seems out of proportion to his actions. Plenty of violent criminals get fewer years than this guy. Sometimes I think judges give people these ridiculous sentences because they know that the defendent will get out early with good behavior and because jails are over crowded and will let non violent criminals out early, and a good lawyer can get their sentence reduced. So by the time all that is factored in, that 40 year sentence will be whittled down into 3.5 years of actual time behind bars.
But I agree with you that his sentencing seems out of proportion
right so you get it... 40 years is more than some violent crimes. I guess I was just thinking if it's primarily a property-based crime, then he mostly should be paying damages. The strong jail time amounts are a double edged sword; certainly we want to punish crime, but it's also literally draconian to offer too much jail time for certain crimes.
Also housing's kind of a touchy subject: while I'm not advocating for squatting, the hoarding of real estate and letting rents get out of control is disgusting and I'm not as concerned about squatters until housing is made more affordable. I've heard of the OP stories though and that sounds like something above simple squatting, some kind of squat-to-own loophole scheme.
Because it essentially lets rich people pay their way out of trouble. What does a fine matter if someone is a multi-millionaire or a billionaire?
It's why people like Soros and Bill Gates and the Clintons and the Obamas continually get away with what they do.
If the idea of the justice system is that people face actual consequences for their actions, paying a fine for it doesn't really punish rich people.
But I agree with you that his sentencing seems out of proportion to his actions. Plenty of violent criminals get fewer years than this guy. Sometimes I think judges give people these ridiculous sentences because they know that the defendent will get out early with good behavior and because jails are over crowded and will let non violent criminals out early, and a good lawyer can get their sentence reduced. So by the time all that is factored in, that 40 year sentence will be whittled down into 3.5 years of actual time behind bars.
right so you get it... 40 years is more than some violent crimes. I guess I was just thinking if it's primarily a property-based crime, then he mostly should be paying damages. The strong jail time amounts are a double edged sword; certainly we want to punish crime, but it's also literally draconian to offer too much jail time for certain crimes.
Also housing's kind of a touchy subject: while I'm not advocating for squatting, the hoarding of real estate and letting rents get out of control is disgusting and I'm not as concerned about squatters until housing is made more affordable. I've heard of the OP stories though and that sounds like something above simple squatting, some kind of squat-to-own loophole scheme.