[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I can't believe I have to be the one to tell you this, but you are comparing apples to oranges with respect to the evidence that was likely available. With cyber stalking and a sting you have a air tight case about what the person was planning on doing. In the OP's coworker's case it was likely a 1st time offender's word against that of a 5 year old, and a plea bargain was likely reached.

Apples to Oranges? Maybe, in the fact that touching the kid is MUCH more serious than soliciting for sex. Evidence does NOT determine the sentence. You are either guilty or NOT guilty. You aren't a little guilty because there is a not as much evidence as there might be in another case.

So what, a plea bargain was reached? That only tells you that the guy most likely did it or the prosecutor was either to busy to deal with it/ to lazy to deal with it/ or to apathetic to deal with because if he did go to trial he probably wouldn't get much more of a sentence.

So if he is innocent, better to have a light sentance. If he is a person who has fallen through the cracks time and again, at least now he has that conviction on his record, and he will either try and stop his behavoir so it doen't land him into trouble, or if he does get caught again it no longer becomes a "he said- she said" type of thing.

If he is innocent, then don't plead guilty. If he didn't plead guilty and was found guilty, then that is what our court system if for. Are we to start questioning every guilty determination now because there is that 5% chance out of the beyond a reasonable doubt that he may be innocent?