Prisoner Overcrowding in Florida
These days, judges are handing out prison time like it's candy. I have personal knowledge of one case in which a person was convicted of kidnapping his girlfriend and then sentenced to life in prison even though the victim told the judge that she only wanted her boyfriend to be sentenced to ten years in prison. A few weeks ago in Stuart, Florida, a man in his early twenties was sentenced to fifty years in prison for burglarizing his girlfriend's home and hitting her in the process. Why do I, as a Florida taxpayer, have to support such men for the rest of their lives when they should be out working and supporting themselves? Neither of the two men mentioned above committed a crime deserving of such harsh sentences, and undoubtedly Florida's prisons contain many other such examples of men who are spending far more time in prison than they deserve for the crimes they committed. While it's certainly proper to punish wrongdoers, let's bring some rationality to the table when doling out such punishment.
Florida criminal defense lawyer Ronald Chapman has been representing people accused of committing crimes in Florida since 1990. You can read more about Mr. Chapman’s experience as a Florida criminal defense attorney as well as review news articles about some of his cases. Some of the types of cases and issues that Mr. Chapman has handled since 1990 include:
• Death Penalty Cases
• Assault and Battery Cases
• DUI Cases
• Drug Cases
• Sex Crimes Cases
• Sealing & Expunging Criminal Records
• Bond|Bail
• Mistaken Identification and Wrongful Conviction
• Police Interrogations
• Sentencing
A friend of mine was given a five-year sentence (maximum sentence) for accidentally trespassing into the house next door. He was charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure although he didn't break in (the door was unlocked), didn't touch anything, had no intention to steal anything, and left as soon as he realized he was in the wrong unit. So far, he has served 2 and a half years. He appealed his case two years ago and after the lower court sat on it for two years, a decision was finally rendered last week. The appellate court upheld the lower court's decision. My friend was represented by a public defender who persuaded him to forego a jury trial and told him that if he would plead guilty, the judge would let him off with time already served (which at the time was about 60 days). He has no money, I am 5,000 miles away and a single mom and I have no resources to help him. But it sounds like his case is similar to the ones you mentioned on your web site. With the overcrowding of Florida's prisons, it seems ludicrous to me that they would lock up a man for five years and the taxpayers would be paying to support a man who is not a criminal, but only accidentally trespassed - a misdemeanor. I also worry about his health - he is in his late 50s, has degenerative arthritis, and has lost about 40 pounds since he has been incarcerated.