A little justice for the cycling community

[vertical_doug]

Bike Thief Sentenced to 14 Years | News from the Field | OutsideOnline.com

So the Tibco team thief gets 14 yrs. Sweet

[SteveP]

man, he must have a history.
bye bye birdie,
nice long vacation.

[Zen Cyclery]

Damn! This was all the buzz around town when it happened.

[professerr]

Sentencing a 19 year old for 14 years for stealing bikes is f'ed up, even fancy bikes with a supposed retail "value" of $100K or something. Raj Rajaratnam, a billionaire who had every Ivy League advantage in life and an immense fortune, stole over $90M in one of the largest insider trading operations ever. He got 3 years less, or 11 years. He'll still have a billion+ waiting for him too, even after paying fines and restitution. And don't even get me started on Lance comparisons.

I'm not saying the guy isn't a tool deserving of punishment, but a little perspective and proportionality would be nice sometimes.

[SteveP]

i dont know the story but im guessing this kid has had a lot of legal interaction to get a sentence like this.

my kid is a federal attorney.
some of the stories with mandatory sentences are brutal.
no option. mandatory.

[dhoff]

Sentencing a 19 year old for 14 years for stealing bikes is f'ed up, even fancy bikes with a supposed retail "value" of $100K or something.
I'm not saying the guy isn't a tool deserving of punishment, but a little perspective and proportionality would be nice sometimes.

Agreed! If it were a "white collar crime", I wouldn't expect him to get 2 years, rape, maybe 3, assault and battery, probation. But stealing bicycles, or possession of illegal mushrooms, talking back to a police officer, send em away!

We live in a very screwed up system where "justice" is a joke, particularly if you don't have money.

[EliottS]

Sounds like he'd been rather busy doing other things, too.

Boise Man Charged With Exergy Bike Thefts, May Be Responsible For String of Bike Burglaries | citydesk

[mike p]

This is true!! I'm all for harsh punishment but this seems a little over the top at least in comparison. I think they should have stripped him down and let the woman's team beat him half dead with tubulars.

Mike

Sentencing a 19 year old for 14 years for stealing bikes is f'ed up, even fancy bikes with a supposed retail "value" of $100K or something. Raj Rajaratnam, a billionaire who had every Ivy League advantage in life and an immense fortune, stole over $90M in one of the largest insider trading operations ever. He got 3 years less, or 11 years. He'll still have a billion+ waiting for him too, even after paying fines and restitution. And don't even get me started on Lance comparisons.

I'm not saying the guy isn't a tool deserving of punishment, but a little perspective and proportionality would be nice sometimes.

[professerr]

i dont know the story but im guessing this kid has had a lot of legal interaction to get a sentence like this.

my kid is a federal attorney.
some of the stories with mandatory sentences are brutal.
no option. mandatory.

I've some experience with the system as well and have seen some very bad stuff on both sides. Looks like he'll get a second chance if he doesn't f up for a year, and even if he does and the jail sentence sticks, he'll be eligible for parole in 3. This all sounds about right to me. Boise bike thief sentenced | Crime | Idahostatesman.com

[Mabouya]

14 years??? I don't get it.

How many perps out there have KILLED a cyclist and gotten off scot-free? Makes no sense at all.

[joosttx]

I used Tibco Spotfire today. I absolutely love the product. Raj is going to get his after it all said and done.

And since I am off topic.... I saw a dud rest his s-works aero bike with zipps wheels against a store front today then he walked inside. The kicker was he took his Garmin with him!

[gggross]

I don't disagree that the system sometimes makes no sense. Still, I wouldn't trade our justice system for what most of the world puts up with.

[Mabouya]

Still, I wouldn't trade our justice system for what most of the world puts up with.

Given that so most of the world lives in either dictatorships of some sort or other, or in 3rd-world countries with per-capita GDPs way, way below ours, I don't think that that's setting the bar terribly high.

[dhoff]

I don't disagree that the system sometimes makes no sense. Still, I wouldn't trade our justice system for what most of the world puts up with.

The problem is that so many of us use this as an excuse to accept what simply doesn't work. That it doesn't suck as bad as some others doesn't mean it isn't terrible. If you think it is not a crisis, try looking in the communities most effected by it.

I could really get into this issue, but wont for the moment. I get a little too "passionate" for public consumption.

[962]

Looks like he'll get a second chance if he doesn't f up for a year, and even if he does and the jail sentence sticks, he'll be eligible for parole in 3. This all sounds about right to me. Boise bike thief sentenced | Crime | Idahostatesman.com

Just pointing this out for those that missed it. He's not getting 14 years.

[boxerboxer]

14 years??? I don't get it.

How many perps out there have KILLED a cyclist and gotten off scot-free? Makes no sense at all.

This.

[Zen Cyclery]

Good post professor. I definitely agree. I didn't know he was so young. Hopefully he won't end up serving the whole term.

[d.wilson]

Hell, if they were tri bikes, i'dve made him the mayor.

-badump-

that's a whole lotta bikes. and a whole lotta impossible to fence bikes, at that. yargh.. what a dummy.. The comment on 'how many people kill cyclists and walk' is a good one though. Shows how much more people worry about property than 'people on toys'.. kinda depressing.

[gggross]

The problem is that so many of us use this as an excuse to accept what simply doesn't work. That it doesn't suck as bad as some others doesn't mean it isn't terrible. If you think it is not a crisis, try looking in the communities most effected by it.

I could really get into this issue, but wont for the moment. I get a little too "passionate" for public consumption.

I am passionate about these issues also. My bar is high. Sounds like your's is too. The beauty of our country is we actually can change the level of the bar.

[Bobqzz]

Sentencing a 19 year old for 14 years for stealing bikes is f'ed up, even fancy bikes with a supposed retail "value" of $100K or something. Raj Rajaratnam, a billionaire who had every Ivy League advantage in life and an immense fortune, stole over $90M in one of the largest insider trading operations ever. He got 3 years less, or 11 years. He'll still have a billion+ waiting for him too, even after paying fines and restitution. And don't even get me started on Lance comparisons.

I'm not saying the guy isn't a tool deserving of punishment, but a little perspective and proportionality would be nice sometimes.

This. As you say, he is a tool who needs punishment (and it looks like it really is an appropriate punishment after all), but as you also point out there is a massive disconnect when it comes to white collar crime.