What Should Be The Punishment?

[Madeline]

MILWAUKEE -- A 100-year-old woman who works as a greeter at a Milwaukee Walmart said Monday she is bruised and sore but otherwise OK after a customer pushed her during a dispute Sunday.

Speelman was working at a Milwaukee Walmart when a 37-year-old woman pushed her after apparently becoming upset that Speelman was trying to verify that the woman had paid for water bottles that were inside her shopping cart, Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said Monday.

Speelman said she hit her head and was taken by ambulance to Wheaton Franciscan-St. Francis Hospital, where she underwent a CT scan and was released.

Woman, 37, arrested after pushing, injuring 100-year-old Walmart greeter | cleveland.com

So what should happen to the woman who pushed her? Seems like fairly serious stuff to me...she easily could have killed her.

Your thoughts?

 

[Care4all]

aggravated assault?

 

[Madeline]

The "aggravated" part is supposed to be a weapon, in most jurisdictions. If these two had been of similar age, etc. this would be simple assault, but given the victim's advanced age, I was thinking some sort of attempted homicide. You break a bone on a woman that old, they generally do not recover.

Maybe I'm being too harsh....but this is so outrageous, a normal punishment just does not seem appropriate to me.

 

[HUGGY]

She should be charged with attempted suicide. A woman that old has no business standing in the way of Walmart shoppers.

 

[goldcatt]

Definitely assault. I'm not sure about aggravated assault, anybody know the WI standard on that? Seems to me you're right about a weapon usually being involved...I'm not sure the age of the vic matters in guilt, only sentencing.

But it's Milwaukee, 'nuff said.

What I want to know is why is a 100-year-old woman working with the public at Christmas season? Between the various assorted pushing and shoving idiots, germ-ridden kiddies and "Whoops, we forgot to salt it" icy sidewalks it's a wonder she made it this long. Especially at Wal-Mart.

 

[Vanquish]

WI doesn't have "assault and battery" as I remember (I'm in Alabama). I think the case is for battery.
The question becomes what kind. If there was intent to cause great bodily harm...then it would be one class of felony...if you just created the RISK for great bodily harm it would be something lesser.

I'm not sure if all this would classify as GREAT or SUBSTANTIAL bodily harm (the scheme WI uses), but your instincts are correct that with the extreme age of the victim this could be circumspect. You'd have to look at the law and see if there's a case that says "don't look at the actual harm, look at what could have happened, even if extremely hypothetical.

To get pissed that Wal-Mart's looking in your cart is utterly retarded. We all know the game. And don't pin it on the old lady...she didnt assume the risk, no matter how stupid people get.

 

[goldcatt]

WI doesn't have "assault and battery" as I remember (I'm in Alabama). I think the case is for battery.
The question becomes what kind. If there was intent to cause great bodily harm...then it would be one class of felony...if you just created the RISK for great bodily harm it would be something lesser.

I'm not sure if all this would classify as GREAT or SUBSTANTIAL bodily harm (the scheme WI uses), but your instincts are correct that with the extreme age of the victim this could be circumspect. You'd have to look at the law and see if there's a case that says "don't look at the actual harm, look at what could have happened, even if extremely hypothetical.

To get pissed that Wal-Mart's looking in your cart is utterly retarded. We all know the game. And don't pin it on the old lady...she didnt assume the risk, no matter how stupid people get.

You're right that she didn't assume the risk. I'm just wondering why a 100-year-old woman would take the chance. Hopefully by her own choice and not out of necessity.

 

[Vanquish]

Very true. I think old people do the job to get some human contact. My dad suffered a stroke after my mother died and he gets really lonely sometimes...so I think that might be it.

Fun fact: My wife's cousin was the guy who came up with the idea for Wal-Mart greeters! ha ha.

 

[Granny]

Very true. I think old people do the job to get some human contact. My dad suffered a stroke after my mother died and he gets really lonely sometimes...so I think that might be it.

Fun fact: My wife's cousin was the guy who came up with the idea for Wal-Mart greeters! ha ha.

Good response. Just because people are old in a physical sense, does not mean they are old in heart or spirit. It's a way to get out and avoid a few less hours of loneliness. Maybe they're just "people people."

It really doesn't matter. One thing that is being overlooked is the crass behavior and lack of respect of the younger woman. All she had to do was have her sales receipt in her hand until she got outside the door. Pretty simple.

Whatever the penalty is in WI - she should get the maximum. There's no defense for what she did. For such a wild reaction, I would say the old lady probably "caught her in the act" and the woman didn't like it.

 

[goldcatt]

Excellent! Now we know who to blame.

The greeters kind of annoy me. Especially when I'm in a hurry and have the little people with me.

 

[editec]

MILWAUKEE -- A 100-year-old woman who works as a greeter at a Milwaukee Walmart said Monday she is bruised and sore but otherwise OK after a customer pushed her during a dispute Sunday.

Speelman was working at a Milwaukee Walmart when a 37-year-old woman pushed her after apparently becoming upset that Speelman was trying to verify that the woman had paid for water bottles that were inside her shopping cart, Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said Monday.

Speelman said she hit her head and was taken by ambulance to Wheaton Franciscan-St. Francis Hospital, where she underwent a CT scan and was released.

Woman, 37, arrested after pushing, injuring 100-year-old Walmart greeter | cleveland.com

So what should happen to the woman who pushed her? Seems like fairly serious stuff to me...she easily could have killed her.

Your thoughts?

Did the perp kick her when she was down?

No?

Then perhaps it was just an accident.

No doubt WALMART has the whole incident taped.

I'd like to see them before I decide what happened.

 

[zzzz]

I think the term greeter should be changed to gatekeeper. Greeters do not stop people and ask if they paid for things. It is annoying and implies that you are dishonest and I think that is what annoys us most.

A lot of older people need these jobs to supplement their fixed incomes. The economy has taken a toll on their retirements and if you live to be a hundred how much money will you have to live on. Remember this woman was born in 1910-11. She grew up in the depression.

As to the crime being different because of age, I don't think that is a factor. Sure it will be a factor in sentencing (aggravating and mitigating circumstances) but in the charge itself, simple assault is the only thing it could be.

 

[goldcatt]

MILWAUKEE -- A 100-year-old woman who works as a greeter at a Milwaukee Walmart said Monday she is bruised and sore but otherwise OK after a customer pushed her during a dispute Sunday.

Speelman was working at a Milwaukee Walmart when a 37-year-old woman pushed her after apparently becoming upset that Speelman was trying to verify that the woman had paid for water bottles that were inside her shopping cart, Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said Monday.

Speelman said she hit her head and was taken by ambulance to Wheaton Franciscan-St. Francis Hospital, where she underwent a CT scan and was released.

Woman, 37, arrested after pushing, injuring 100-year-old Walmart greeter | cleveland.com

So what should happen to the woman who pushed her? Seems like fairly serious stuff to me...she easily could have killed her.

Your thoughts?

Did the perp kick her when she was down?

No?

Then perhaps it was just an accident.

No doubt WALMART has the whole incident taped.

I'd like to see them before I decide what happened.

There are incidents like this on a regular basis, some moron decides to get physical with a greeter when questioned. Happened at our local Wally World either 2 or 3 years ago, a drunk and belligerent did abut the same to an elderly woman asking for her receipt. If the greeter wasn't 100 it probably wouldn't have made much news, sadly.

Possible it was an accident under those facts? I guess anything's possible, but it's not likely. Assholes are rarer than the news makes them appear, but they do exist everywhere.

 

[Vanquish]

"implies you're dishonest"...hmmm your view is a bit too reactionary for my taste. The store has a right to secure itself. I'd doubt you'd disagree that Wal-Mart theft occurs, nor that it's more likely a target for theft due to it's set up.

The world's not a fair place. You don't like the way you're treated...don't shop there. I'm getting a whole anti-liberal vibe from the "treated like a criminal" comment, but I could be off. Psychoanalysis over the interwebs is shaky at best. That being said, Wal-Mart isn't assuming you're a criminal...they're defending their property. That's as American as it gets. (wow. I just defended Wal-Mart. Holy hell)

 

[uscitizen]

We need major public embaressment systams for people like the shover.

Perhaps an electronic billboard that shows the womans picture and name for a month with a description of what she did.

 

[editec]

Woman, 37, arrested after pushing, injuring 100-year-old Walmart greeter | cleveland.com

So what should happen to the woman who pushed her? Seems like fairly serious stuff to me...she easily could have killed her.

Your thoughts?

Did the perp kick her when she was down?

No?

Then perhaps it was just an accident.

No doubt WALMART has the whole incident taped.

I'd like to see them before I decide what happened.

There are incidents like this on a regular basis, some moron decides to get physical with a greeter when questioned. Happened at our local Wally World either 2 or 3 years ago, a drunk and belligerent did abut the same to an elderly woman asking for her receipt. If the greeter wasn't 100 it probably wouldn't have made much news, sadly.

Possible it was an accident under those facts? I guess anything's possible, but it's not likely. Assholes are rarer than the news makes them appear, but they do exist everywhere.

Yeah I understand that position.

What I guess I'm objecting to here is about the same as my objection whenever this sort of outrage is presented to us.

We RUSH to judgment with really knowing all the facts.

I don't know what it is about human nature, but certainly one hell of a lot of us really enjoy the idea of punisment.

Not that the wicked shouldn't be punished (pray to GOD I never get in the position of punishing the wicked..you'll very quickly understand why I am NOT a good liberal), but what I find so troubling is the MOB MENTALITY that the authors of these posts seem to want to create.

Burn her, she's a witch!

​

 

[syrenn]

First off she wasn't being a greeter, she was a door shaker if she was checking the bags on the way out.

Its assault.

For punishment? Oh i think 6 months of hard time should do the trick. By being a walmart greeter.

 

[Vanquish]

Did the perp kick her when she was down?

No?

Then perhaps it was just an accident.

No doubt WALMART has the whole incident taped.

I'd like to see them before I decide what happened.

There are incidents like this on a regular basis, some moron decides to get physical with a greeter when questioned. Happened at our local Wally World either 2 or 3 years ago, a drunk and belligerent did abut the same to an elderly woman asking for her receipt. If the greeter wasn't 100 it probably wouldn't have made much news, sadly.

Possible it was an accident under those facts? I guess anything's possible, but it's not likely. Assholes are rarer than the news makes them appear, but they do exist everywhere.

Yeah I understand that position.

What I guess I'm objecting to here is about the same as my objection whenever this sort of outrage is presented to us.

We RUSH to judgment with really knowing all the facts.

I don't know what it is about human nature, but certainly one hell of a lot of us really enjoy the idea of punisment.

Not that the wicked shouldn't be punished (pray to GOD I never get in the position of punishing the wicked..you'll very quickly understand why I am NOT a good liberal), but what I find so troubling is the MOB MENTALITY that the authors of these posts seem to want to create.

Burn her, she's a witch!

​

I get your point with this post. Really I do. But if we didn't discuss topics that we know jack-all about...we wouldn't have forum boards. Seriously. None of us have any bearing on the situation...so all these forum discussions can be is just tangential to real life.

That being said...it's fun to go off on people you don't know

 

[George Costanza]

MILWAUKEE -- A 100-year-old woman who works as a greeter at a Milwaukee Walmart said Monday she is bruised and sore but otherwise OK after a customer pushed her during a dispute Sunday.

Speelman was working at a Milwaukee Walmart when a 37-year-old woman pushed her after apparently becoming upset that Speelman was trying to verify that the woman had paid for water bottles that were inside her shopping cart, Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said Monday.

Speelman said she hit her head and was taken by ambulance to Wheaton Franciscan-St. Francis Hospital, where she underwent a CT scan and was released.

Woman, 37, arrested after pushing, injuring 100-year-old Walmart greeter | cleveland.com

So what should happen to the woman who pushed her? Seems like fairly serious stuff to me...she easily could have killed her.

Your thoughts?

Just for the record, has anyone thought to ask the 37-year old woman for her side of the story? I'm sure there is one.

 

[George Costanza]

We need major public embaressment systams for people like the shover.

Perhaps an electronic billboard that shows the womans picture and name for a month with a description of what she did.

Or perhaps she should be forced to wear a big, red, letter A around her neck for three months. You know: A for Assaulter. Maybe stocks, or public dunking.

Anyone have one of those big, tall, black hats with the buckle on it? Just askin' . . .