An Alabama woman is missing after stopping to help a toddler she saw walking on the interstate

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by jbgusa

I generally agree with you but sending a first-time offender to jail is hard. Judges bleed the same blood we all do.

I suppose it's possible that she was able to convince the judge that she's remorseful and has matured and learned from that false reporting. If she has been humbled by all of this and sincerely regrets what she did that could very well be "punishment enough". We didn't see the hearing so who knows.

My guess, though, is that her parents have bubble wrapped her and the lawyer they hired negotiated a good deal for her.

Personally, I can not imagine the judge not giving her, at minimum, community service as a condition of her sentence. Her parents couldn't do those hours for her like they can pay the court fines and legal costs.

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by Rocko20

First time non-violent offenders generally don't go to jail because jails are already overcrowded with violent repeat offenders, not because judges have hearts.

Also, it depends on the crime. Sam Bankman Fried, Elizabeth Holmes, and Bernie Madoff were also first time non-violent offenders....But their crime was so bad they got long prison sentences.

Also they were convicted of Federal offenses. The logistics and incentives are very different. The three you mentioned also stole on a very grand scale, and deserved treatment akin to or worse than house burglars.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

You can bet this girl's parents will be the ones paying that fine and they will be the ones housing and feeding this girl. I doubt she's employable, at least in Birmingham. I don't know if she is still in nursing school or if she's had to drop out. It doesn't sound as though Carlee has even been ordered to do community service.

The ones paying for this are her parents.

You have to pay $18k for your kids' screwup.. You gonna be happy about it?