Have you ever been caught shoplifting? For most of us, hopefully the answer is no, but for some there was probably that one time when you were a teenager and you stole some candy from a drug story or some make-up from a Target or Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, no matter how you slice it, or what the excuse is, stealing is steal.  At the same time, when you are a young, foolish teenager, a slap on the wrist and a little “scared straight” tactic might work better than a jail sentence.  Now imagine if it wasn’t your first time getting caught?  What if it wasn’t even your 5th or 6th time getting caught?  What if it was your 14th time getting caught?  Yep, we said 14.  A North Carolina woman was just thrown in jail for her 14th count of shoplifting…and those are just the times she has been caught.  She was sentenced to 100 days in jail. 

According to the judge, the woman is a reflection of the “national epidemic” of stealing that currently exists in this country.  The woman was slightly injured in the altercation that took place during her arrest, but the judge called that a sort of “Street Justice.”  He stated that if she hadn’t been stealing, she wouldn’t have been injured.”  

What do you think?  Are fourteen counts of larceny enough to finally realize a slap on the wrist is not being an effective form of deterrent?  Or should the punishment have been handed down at 3 counts of larceny?  Are we being too lenient? Are we being too hard?   Original article below.

Original article: Judge sends shoplifter to jail, cites “national problem”