Ten years in the County Jail

[Graham2001]

It was a slow day at work and everyone had time to talk, we were discussing various dumb crime/dumb crook stories (including the one about the guy who turned up drunk to his driving test.).

Anyway one of the things that came up was a story about a US case where someone had been found guilty of some crime and sentenced to one year 'in the county jail'.

He then supposedly started swearing & carrying on for some unknown reason (not unlike some of our clients...) and was given another year 'in the county jail'.

This then led to a bizarre bidding session which resulted in the miscreant being given a total of ten years 'in the county jail', one year for the original offense and nine years for contempt of court...

As presented it was hilarious, and it looses something in summary, but is it based on a real case?

I leave it open to the forum...

[diddy]

Would any judge even give such an excessive sentence of one year for contempt? Aren't contempt charges usually end up with a night in lockup until along with a fine?

[Graham2001]

Originally Posted by diddy

Would any judge even give such an excessive sentence of one year for contempt? Aren't contempt charges usually end up with a night in lockup until along with a fine?

I'm no legal expert and neither was the person telling me... but it should be simple enough to check out, I'll do this in the morning.

[Dr. Dave]

Uh, Graham, did one of your colleagues perhaps watch the movie The Breakfast Club? (ETA: link)

(It was days in detention, not years in the clink, but same concept.)

[Graham2001]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dave

Uh, Graham, did one of your colleagues perhaps watch the movie The Breakfast Club? (ETA: link)

(It was days in detention, not years in the clink, but same concept.)

I have no idea. But I haven't, wasn't my thing when it came out, and it still isn't...

[Recklessmess]

Originally Posted by Dr. Dave

Uh, Graham, did one of your colleagues perhaps watch the movie The Breakfast Club? (ETA: link)

(It was days in detention, not years in the clink, but same concept.)

See the People v. Larry Flynt, only it was three month increments from a federa judge.

[Victoria J]

There is always this story :

Frank Gort, a San Antonio burglar, was caught and convicted. When it came time for sentencing, the judge gave him seven years. Gort was very upset - and begged the judge not to sentence him to seven years because seven was his unlucky number. The understanding judge complied. He gave him eight years.

I remembered ready it in a list of amusing "dumb criminal" type stories. Googling it only got hits on such dubious lists so I suspect it is not true.

Victoria J

[Graham2001]

Originally Posted by Victoria J

There is always this story :

I remembered ready it in a list of amusing "dumb criminal" type stories. Googling it only got hits on such dubious lists so I suspect it is not true.

Victoria J

Could be, but the version I heard definitely starts with one year, but the accused 'bids it up' to the ten years 'in the county jail' at the conclusion/punchline(?)...

If this is just a 'dumb crook' story it may be in a list of "dumb criminal" stories either published or online.

I tried a websearch on the phrase "ten years in the county jail" but didn't get any hits...

[STF]

OT, but a business law professor of mine who was a judge told us this in class. Another judge in his county had a man who appeared in front of him with a shirt that said, "If you're not from Alabama you ain't shit" or something to that effect. After sentencing that gentleman the judge quipped, "By the way, I'm not from Alabama."

[Victoria J]

Originally Posted by Graham2001

Could be, but the version I heard definitely starts with one year, but the accused 'bids it up' to the ten years 'in the county jail' at the conclusion/punchline(?)...

Sorry, I wasn't suggesting they were the same story - just that they were similar. If they are jokes/wishful thinking type stories then they have the same sort of origin, if both of them are true we have a lot of stupid criminals out there.

I think one of the things I like least about hanging around snopes is that I feel guilty that I really enjoy this kind of story even though I don't believe it. While reading the stories is one of the pleasures of the main snopes site the message board is not so kind to anything that could be seen as a sign of gullibility. But who wouldn't prefer these stories to grim reality sometimes ?

I can't find anything matching your story - but it took several searches before I found anything relating to the one I quoted. So I may try looking again if I have time later.

Victoria J