How much time should Anderson serve?

[Dion]

US man who avoided prison for 13 years due to clerical error....

Then came the knock on the door.....

Anderson was convicted in 2000 of armed robbery for holding up a restaurant manager in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. But he was never formally ordered to report for his 13-year sentence. So he never went and instead got married, learned a trade and raised several children.

When the orders to report to prison never came, Anderson suspected that his case had been overlooked and asked his former attorney what to do.

"He said it's a mistake, and they're going to figure it out — be prepared to be taken into custody," Anderson recalled. "Day by day, month by month, year by year, time passed, and they never picked me up."

So Anderson went about his life, never trying to conceal his whereabouts or identity. He married, divorced, married again. He raised three children of his own and a stepchild, owned and operated three construction businesses. He coached his son's youth football team in Webster Groves, Missouri, outside St. Louis, and ran the video operation at his church.

Anderson said he was just getting up around 6:30 a.m. on a hot July day when he heard a bang on the front door.

"It was one of those, 'Hey, open up the door!' type knocks," Anderson said. "I said, 'Who is it?' They said, 'U.S. marshals. Open up, or we'll knock the door down.'"

Jaime Halscott, another of Anderson's attorneys, said Gov. Jay Nixon's office has also been asked to consider commuting the sentence or pardoning Anderson. Nixon's spokesman did not immediately return a message on Friday seeking comment.

"He's been rehabilitated," Halscott said of Anderson. "There's no need to protect the community, and even if you want your pound of flesh, he's been in prison nine months. At the end of the day, there's no good argument that this man should be in prison."

Anderson's attorneys filed an appeal in February calling his imprisonment unfair and unjust. Attorney Patrick Megaro said the last time something like this happened in Missouri was 1912, and that person was not forced to serve his sentence.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/wo...601/story.html

[Caged Great]

One of the main purposes of prison is to "rehabilitate" the offender if possible. He seems to have done that on his own.

He has been as far as I know a model citizen since this and completely turned his life around. I don't see what benefit it would be to anyone to have him serve any time. His family would suffer, he would suffer and arguably his community would suffer.

I understand that he did do wrong, but perhaps it might be better for him/the community for him to do community service, where he can go around to schools and such and share his story about this all.

[WhiteTiger]

I guess what you feel about this kind of says what you feel prison should do. This guy seems like he's pretty rehabilitated to me, which is what the point of prison is.

[SebC]

Makes you wonder how many other prisoners don't need to be there.

[strombad]

Seems totally pointless to put him in prison, that is of course unless the point of prison is only to be locked away for a period of time, and not to curb illegal behaviour.

[btimbit]

Seems unnecessary to me. Sure he hasn't 'done his time' be he seems rehabilitated and to have learned his lesson.

If he had been in hiding and running the whole time then yeah absolutely. But since he made an effort to find out what's going on I say his sentence would have been up long ago.

[Chingas]

I don't think he should be put in prison because I don't think that it will serve to be anything but negative on a large number of people. On the other hand I do believe that he should be subject to a penance of some sort, be that public service, financial, or some other means. Just because he has done what every other law abiding citizen has for the past thirteen years does not absolve him of responsibility for the crime committed.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Make him pay damages to the restaurant manager, but locking him up would serve no purpose

[Daradon]

I agree with the comments here, but just wondering out loud, what if it was a violent crime like murder? Would people feel the same way?

[Alberta_Beef]

Sounds like he has been a model citizen, if he was a model prisoner he would be out after what 5-6 years? It's been 13, I'd say he has earned "early release"

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by Daradon

I agree with the comments here, but just wondering out loud, what if it was a violent crime like murder? Would people feel the same way?

Great question. It's hard to say (due to it all being so hypothetical) but I generally believe that prison isn't about punishment. It's about protecting the public and providing convicts with the tools needed to succeed in society.

In this particular case, I think that the apparent rehabilitation needs to be formalized in some way but I don't think jail is the answer. The State still owes it to the public to establish that Anderson's changes are more than surface level.

It appears that Anderson has already learned how to survive (perhaps thrive?) in society and he doesn't appear to be a danger to anyone. I could easily support (for example) a year or two of probation with some sort of monitoring and counseling component just to formally establish those criteria.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

Great question. It's hard to say (due to it all being so hypothetical) but I generally believe that prison isn't about punishment. It's about protecting the public and providing convicts with the tools needed to succeed in society.

In this particular case, I think that the apparent rehabilitation needs to be formalized in some way but I don't think jail is the answer. The State still owes it to the public to establish that Anderson's changes are more than surface level.

It appears that Anderson has already learned how to survive (perhaps thrive?) in society and he doesn't appear to be a danger to anyone. I could easily support (for example) a year or two of probation with some sort of monitoring and counseling component just to formally establish those criteria.

for me a big part was the amount of time that passed in relation to the sentence in conjunction with hin being a solid citizen now.

And since I believe all murderers deserve life, I would say lock him away.

[Red Potato Standing By]

Originally Posted by Daradon

I agree with the comments here, but just wondering out loud, what if it was a violent crime like murder? Would people feel the same way?

I think he shouldn't have to go to prison, because like most have said he has been able to rehabilitate himself. That being said if you were to change the scenario to murder, then no he should then go to prison, I think a lot should be based on victim impact in these situations.

In this case, yes it probably traumatizing at the time but more then likely the manager is fine now.

If you change it to murder, or even let say child molestation then no the impact on the victim is a lot more severe (in the murder scenario obviously because the victim is dead). I think it depends on the severity and type of crime on what peoples reaction would be.

[Nage Waza]

Tough one, perhaps community service? I can't answer this at all.

[Street Pharmacist]

Another anecdotal point against incarceration


A more important question here is: who would he be and where would he be if he had spent 4 years confined with violent criminals at such a young age?

[icecube]

I'm very cynical that they are gonna put this guy in jail for a long time regardless of his rehabilitation. I hope not.

[puckluck2]

13 years for armed robbery? Only thing I'm jealous of about Americans is their harsh criminal system. In Canada he'd get a slap on the wrist and maybe 3 years.

I don't think he should get any time now but maybe a fine and a lot of community service.

[Derek Sutton]

There are many people in prison who do need "rehab", and were contributing memebers of society. To say this is a reason he shouldn't go to jail does not hold up, white collar crime, failure to pay fines, recreational drug users all get locked up. Armed robbery is a serious offence and there should be puinishment, I think that this is how the majority look at jail, as punishment. It does suck that he owns a bussiness and has employees and has kids. I don't think jail time is necessary and yes he is likeley much further ahead now then if he had gone to jail 13 years ago, but none of that matters in 'Merica, they will be worried about a precedent. So what do I think he should get? Nothing, but he will end up behind bars.

[CaptainCrunch]

I think its fairly rare that people self rehabilitate, and I'm torn because I strongly believe that violent criminals can't be trusted in society and there should absolutely be a punishment aspect to any sentence when violence is used.

In this case the person should be commended it does look like he went forth and sinned no more.

I'd prefer that they sent him out to speak to youth in trouble not about getting away with something but that there is a better way to live your life. Maybe give him some community service. And then move on.

[FlamesAddiction]

Extensive community service would be my choice. Prisons are already overpopulated as it is.