And in other news.... Hundreds of black and hispanic sex offenders went to jail for years for the same crime.
Here's the case the attorney made to the judge:
Here's the case the attorney made to the judge:
Johnsons attorney, Michael F. Hart argued to Judge Gasiorkiewicz that the maximum prison term for his client was not fair and that is should be reserved for maximum defendants, people unlike his client (aka not billionaires with a prestigious name), who has no prior record and who leads a productive life. Again, the billionaire status and famous name apply to that productive life. Hes an heir, so remember folks, hes inheriting this empire and inheriting this money. Very productive.
Add insult to injury, the judge made his decision based on other cases in which he has rarely gives first time offenders the maximum sentence. So instead the judge gave Johnson, a billionaire, a fine of $6,000. The judge ruled that he must serve at least 60 days of the sentence before he will be eligible for release.
Billionaire rapes an underage child, gets a sentence that a teenager gets for shoplifting. Thats what some people like to call the invisible hand in economics.
Affluenza is spreading, and it is spreading fast. Just last year, a Washington state judge failed to sentence Shaun Goodman, arrested for his 7th DUI (who, while going over 100 mph, crash into both a parked car and house), to any jail time. The reason? He was a local businessman, a rich businessman, and giving him jail time even after his 7th DUI wouldnt be fair for him, as per the words of Judge James Dixon. Dixon brazenly violated the sentencing guidelines for DUI offenders, but that doesnt matter when the person facing the crime is of an upper class and owns a business.
Now who could forget the smug little punk Ethan Couch, the Texas teen who killed four people in a drunk driving accident who got only 10 years probation? Because of his rich, elite status, his attorney argued that because he was raised in such affluent circumstances, he failed to grasp the concept of his negative actions and thus couldnt be held responsible for his actions. Never mind that he plowed his car into four people and savagely murdered them. Never mind that after he realized what had happened he ran and left the scene. All that doesnt matter. In the eyes of Texas District Judge Jean Boyd, this teen never faced jail time. Instead, he was given the luxury to attend a very expensive, very prestigious rehab center. Guess who is picking up the bulk of that rehab cost? Not his rich parents. Thanks to the taxpayers of the great state of Texas, Couchs rehab bill has been dropped from $438,000 annually to only $13,870. Congrats, Taxpayers, you picked up 68% of the cost for a rich teen who got out of manslaughter charges simply because he was rich. America!
And, how about one to really make your blood boil. A trust fund baby, Robert H. Richards IV, who owns, among other things, a $1.8 million dollar mansion near the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, had his sentence of 8 years in prison for raping his daughter repeatedly between the ages of 3 and 5 as well as molesting his son starting at the age of 19 months, reduced. The reason? Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden didnt think the rapist would not fare in a level 5 prison. Well thats the point. It will let them learn from their mistakes while they sit and think about what it is they have done.