OT - Inmate caught with cel phone given 60 years added to sentence.

[wilheim]

Giving you yet another reason to not want to live in Texas, the Palestine Herald Press is reporting that an Anderson County inmate was sentenced to a staggering 60 additional years in prison after he was caught with a cell phone behind bars.

The inmate, 38-year-old Derrick Ross, tried to run away from a procedural search, which correctional officers imposed on Ross after observing him acting suspiciously. While giving chase, officers noticed Ross throw something onto a rooftop -- the item turned out to be a state-issued sock with a cell phone and charger inside.

Because Ross is a habitual offender, his conviction of possessing a prohibited item in a correctional facility carried a sentence of 60 additional years. It's one of the stiffest sentences ever dropped on an inmate for possession of a cell phone, and if you ask us, it's pretty damn lopsided. [From: Palestine Herald Press.

http://www.switched.com/2009/05/15/inmate-caught-with-cell-phone-in-jail-given-60-more-years/


wil.

 

[Fishhead]

In my opinion, good ruling.

 

[onemwtheone]

Really, what's the problem?

 

[scottw]

Since that was a new crime, is he allowed to make one new phone call?

 

[X-Files]

That's a bit harsh. I'd say 55 years.

 

[HacheMan]

So for having a cell phone he gets as many years as some who commit murder or rape?!

Total BS if you ask me..

 

[WorldNumberOne]

he knew he wasnt supposed to have it .

just another attempt to break the rules...

fuck him.. rot in prison.

 

[RobFunk]

pretty dumb. He should do a month in the hole and that be the end of it. What a waste of taxpayer money

 

[billsfan]

Since that was a new crime, is he allowed to make one new phone call?

:lol:

 

[NES]

They should spend more time looking for the gaurd that sold it to him and then throw him in the slammer for 60 years.

 

[wilheim]

Habitual criminal maybe but definitely being used to set precedent.

In 1989, Ross was convicted of burglary of a motor vehicle and in 1990, he was convicted of theft of an automobile. In 1993, he was convicted of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and sentenced to 25 years in TDCJ.

Basically this guy is doing life for stealing three cars or in other words being convicted of three burglaries the last one 16 years ago, he has been incarcerated since..

The real problems stems from another case in Texas. A state that has been particularly sensitive to the issue of cell phones being taken into prisons after the death row inmate, Richard Lee Tabler was able to make threatening phone calls to State Senator, John Whitmire using a cel phone that had been smuggeled into the prison in 2008.

Tabler and 1st Cavalry Division Pvt. Timothy D. Payne were charged in connection with the November 2004 shooting deaths of Teazers Gentlemen’s Club owner Mohamed-Amine Rahmouni, 25, and his friend Haitham Zayed, 28, whose bodies were found outside of Killeen.

Authorities believe a guard accepted a bribe to give the cellphone to murderer Richard Tabler, who, along with at least nine other inmates, made more than 2,800 calls over 30 days. In repeated phone calls to Sen. John Whitmire, Mr. Tabler, who was sentenced to death in 2007 for fatally shooting the two men mentioned above, appeared threatening, asking for personal favors and family visits while saying he knew the names of Mr. Whitmire's daughters and where they live in Houston.



wil.
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[Enfuego]

pretty dumb. He should do a month in the hole and that be the end of it. What a waste of taxpayer money

Yeah, I mean why not let him out so he can create more victims on his way to not following the law. Some taxes I don't mind paying and this is one of those.

 

[quantumleap]

In 1989, Ross was convicted of burglary of a motor vehicle and in 1990, he was convicted of theft of an automobile. In 1993, he was convicted of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and sentenced to 25 years in TDCJ.

Basically this guy is doing life for stealing three cars or in other words being convicted of three burglaries the last one 16 years ago, he has been incarcerated since..

The real problems stems from another case in Texas. A state that has been particularly sensitive to the issue of cell phones being taken into prisons after the death row inmate, Richard Lee Tabler was able to make threatening phone calls to State Senator, John Whitmire using a cel phone that had been smuggeled into the prison in 2008.

Tabler and 1st Cavalry Division Pvt. Timothy D. Payne were charged in connection with the November 2004 shooting deaths of Teazers Gentlemen’s Club owner Mohamed-Amine Rahmouni, 25, and his friend Haitham Zayed, 28, whose bodies were found outside of Killeen.

Authorities believe a guard accepted a bribe to give the cellphone to murderer Richard Tabler, who, along with at least nine other inmates, made more than 2,800 calls over 30 days. In repeated phone calls to Sen. John Whitmire, Mr. Tabler, who was sentenced to death in 2007 for fatally shooting the two men mentioned above, appeared threatening, asking for personal favors and family visits while saying he knew the names of Mr. Whitmire's daughters and where they live in Houston.



wil.
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I knew there had to be something else behind the sentance. So because a Senator was threatened by someone with a cell phone in prison, everyone who is guilty of the same offense gets 60 more years.

hno:

This guy is a petty criminal compared to many others.

 

[gtc08]

why didnt he just commit murder instead. he would've been out 13 years earlier.

us justice system is a joke. you get more time for possession then killing someone.

 

[mrcrash]

pretty dumb. He should do a month in the hole and that be the end of it. What a waste of taxpayer money

Agreed, inmates have all sorts of contraband. What a waste.

 

[ProPokerPlayer]

"you get more time for possession then killing someone"

There have been 437 Executions in Texas since 1982 for killing someone.... show me where they have executed 438 people for possession.....

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Anyone who thinks the sentence was harsh is a fvcking p*ssy.

It's JAIL, it's supposed to be HARD. If you want the right to use a phone whenever you want then you should, oh, I don't know, stay of out of jail! There's already too many "rehabilitation" programs that we pay for and now we're going to let them have phones? Hell no. The sentence is just because it's a deterrent, as what most sentences should be.

 

[hacklimit]

Gee, I hope he has plenty of rollover minutes.

 

[PokerBookie]

So if I understand this correct after I read the article, this guy was given 25 years in 1993 for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He is only 38 now, I dont know if he could have gotten parole in 2013-2015. but even if he did the whole 25 years he still could have got out at a decent age.

To add 60 years to his sentence for getting caught with a cell phone is just insane. I can see if the whole cell phone thing maybe went against him for parole or something, or even if it added 3-6 months but 60 years is way to harsh.

 

[PokerBookie]

They should spend more time looking for the gaurd that sold it to him and then throw him in the slammer for 60 years.

I agree 100%, whats the guard get for smuggling that phone in the prison. They should give the guard the chair.