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[Truean]

It's down to much more than that, trust me.

Yes, and as a lawyer practicing criminal defense, how the hell am I not rich as hell given the above...?

[Nadaka]

It's down to much more than that, trust me.

Yes, and as a lawyer practicing criminal defense, how the hell am I not rich as hell given the above...?

Because people in prison have a hard time paying their bills?

[Truean]

It's down to much more than that, trust me.

Yes, and as a lawyer practicing criminal defense, how the hell am I not rich as hell given the above...?

Because people in prison have a hard time paying their bills?

I was going more towards the, "people don't think it's a big deal somehow," line of reasoning. You're not gonna have a whole lot if you go to prison so spend it on avoiding that....

"O, that'll never happen to me...." ~Everyone that ever happened to before that happened.
Honestly though, the above statement baffles me. Do people not realize there are whole departments of things devoted to nothing but catching people who say this shit? Few if any of my clients thought they'd get caught but then they end up in front of me.... I would feel comfortable thinking that none of them thought they'd get caught at first. Some of the repeats maybe have figured it out; they just haven't really taken it to heart. Or, worse, now they think they're older,wiser , and more experienced so they won't get caught, "this time."

I have too much repeat business for that to be true....

[MonkeyHead]

Reading that linked article... the part about how sentence length (not actual crime rate) is the main contributing factor seems to make sense to me. This then seems to suggest that long sentences do not act as much of a deterrent or rehabilitating factor.

[Truean]

Reading that linked article... the part about how sentence length (not actual crime rate) is the main contributing factor seems to make sense to me. This then seems to suggest that long sentences do not act as much of a deterrent or rehabilitating factor.

Especially given that my experiences show me most criminal defendants don't even KNOW what sentences they face before they do something....

Well, now I just have an image of some kid with a calculator adding up the number of years and months in prison he'd face before deciding to do something illegal.... Its somewhat hilarious, at least the version floating around in my head.

"Let's see, if there's a silencer on my gun, that means I get 6 years mandatory minimum.... Carry the 2.... Let's see.... Well, I better take that off... before I rob the place."

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(i) A prison term of six years if the specification is of the type described in section 2941.144 of the Revised Code that charges the offender with having a firearm that is an automatic firearm or that was equipped with a firearm muffler or silencer on or about the offender’s person or under the offender’s control while committing the felony;

[MonkeyHead]

I would suggest "know" could be the wrong word for certain forms of crime that would lead to one of the sentences responsible for the high US prision levels.. Probably "do not care" would be better. Not to say thats specific to the US - here in the UK the same applies, but our recent goverments (post Thatcer) have avoided overcrowding through reducing the number of sentences deserving of incarceration, open prisons and wider parole access, amongst other means. Depending on who you speak to, this may or may not be a good thing.

[G-Flex]

Truean: What's probably worse are state/local laws related to weapons that aren't firearms. My state's legislation for such items literally includes the phrase "so-called 'kung fu weapons'". In addition to that, some of the language is pretty ambiguous/strange and it's hard to even tell what's legal under which circumstances.

http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title11/11-47/11-47-42.HTM

It's so vague (and in some cases possibly ambiguous) that it probably boils down to what they feel like prosecuting at any given time.


EDIT: Just so everyone's clear, if I ever form a local band it'll be called "[my name] and the So-Called Kung-Fu Weapons". I got dibs on that.

[Truean]

Truean: What's probably worse are state/local laws related to weapons that aren't firearms. My state's legislation for such items literally includes the phrase "so-called 'kung fu weapons'". In addition to that, some of the language is pretty ambiguous/strange and it's hard to even tell what's legal under which circumstances.

http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statutes/title11/11-47/11-47-42.HTM

It's so vague (and in some cases possibly ambiguous) that it probably boils down to what they feel like prosecuting at any given time.


EDIT: Just so everyone's clear, if I ever form a local band it'll be called "[my name] and the So-Called Kung-Fu Weapons". I got dibs on that.

How are "Kung-Fu," weapons illegal in a democra... republi.... place like America?

Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting
Those kicks were fast as lightning
In fact, it was a little bit frightening
But they fought with expert timing

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/onehitwonders/kungfufightinglyrics.html


Well, Mr. ... "[my name] and the So-Called Kung-Fu Weapons" lead, I've already given you a cover song. I'll be taking 10% as an agent's cut if you'll just look the other way sign on the dotted line.

You knew or should've known I was not going to let that one pass me by....

[Frumple]

... would it count as progressive irritation that it bugs the hell out of me some people my own bloody age (to say nothing of the younger generations, now) actually have never heard Kung-fu Fighting? Or just more generic rage?

It's like folks, especially Americans, not knowing immediately who Louie is. Louie Freaking Armstrong! How the hell does one reach puberty without knowing who Louie is, especially in a country where he's one of the best singers/musicians of one of the only original musical styles our culture has? We don't have much culture you can't scrape up with a fingernail (read: Shallow as fook), how the blazes do we get away with ignoring what little we do have? Darn idjit kids, grumblemutter.

[Darvi]

To be fair, I've never heard of Louie Armstrong either.

[Frumple]

Yes, yes, it's spelled with an s. We call 'im Louie down here

[Pnx]

I've never heard of Louis Armstrong, but I have heard "kung fu fighting".

[Fenrir]

... would it count as progressive irritation that it bugs the hell out of me some people my own bloody age (to say nothing of the younger generations, now) actually have never heard Kung-fu Fighting? Or just more generic rage?

It's like folks, especially Americans, not knowing immediately who Louie is. Louie Freaking Armstrong! How the hell does one reach puberty without knowing who Louie is, especially in a country where he's one of the best singers/musicians of one of the only original musical styles our culture has? We don't have much culture you can't scrape up with a fingernail (read: Shallow as fook), how the blazes do we get away with ignoring what little we do have? Darn idjit kids, grumblemutter.

I thought you were talking about the astronaut, so I was astonished when you wrote "singers/musicians". Then I realized that he is Neil Armstrong.

So I have no idea who this Louie person is.

[Vector]

I've never heard of Louis Armstrong, but I have heard "kung fu fighting".

WAT

I thought you were talking about the astronaut, so I was astonished when you wrote "singers/musicians". Then I realized that he is Neil Armstrong.

DOUBLE WAT

[Darvi]

Frankly, I've heard of him, but never knew that he was the one doing that song. Welp. But then again cultural imbecile here.