Friday, November 25, 2011

Guess the sentence!

A guy shows up at your house drunk, starts in wrecking the place and punches you out. Oh and you're an old guy, 73, he's 50, you're pretty sure he's going to kill you. So you find the ancient .22 revolver you've got kicking around and you shoot him in the leg. And he lives.

What do you get from the judge?

1) Good citizenship medal
2) House arrest
3) Hard jail time
4) suspended sentence
5) The cops says "Way to go, Grandad!" and doesn't charge you.

Well, it depends where you live and who you are. If you're some random old guy in Arizona, you get a medal or at least the cop just gives you a pass. If you're a White AngloSaxon taxpaying senior with no criminal record in Ontario, you're going to the Big House baby. If you're The Phantom they probably take you out behind the court house hang you from the old oak tree.  With an ugly rope.
Here's what happens to Canadian ex-diplomats:
A former member of Canada's diplomatic corps[Foster] was sentenced to house arrest Thursday after pleading guilty to shooting another man [Cantwell] in the leg during a scuffle.
The guilty plea allowed Foster to avoid more serious charges that could have resulted in a four-year mandatory prison term. Crown prosecutor Julie Scott said the circumstances of the shooting were "troubling," but the issue of self-defence would have been a live one at trial.
Foster received an 18-month conditional sentence, including nine months of house arrest.
Cantwell, who had once dated one of Foster's daughters, received a 12-month conditional sentence last year after pleading guilty to assault, mischief to property and disturbing the occupants of a dwelling house.

Foster got "house arrest", meaning pretty much nothing, because he's probably connected out the wazoo and got the Special Plea deal. The other guy got "conditional", meaning pretty much nothing, because... well really there's no good reason why they let him skip, but he did.

By the way, the penalty for possessing an unregistered pistol, not using it mind you but just having it, is ten years in jail. Just so we're all clear why its good to be connected.

The Phantom

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