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AuthorHouse
Jan 1, 2010
By Mel Barth
Upon arriving at the clinic, Hank parked his car on the top level of the parking garage and got out of his car. It was at this time that his depression kicked in and he decided to commit suicide by jumping off the top level of the garage. When he approached the ledge, he decided to climb over it and hang by his hands, holding onto the structure until he became tired and could no longer hang there. As he climbed over the ledge, he tore his jacket. This caused him to return to the garage floor and contemplate a better way. Sitting on the concrete curb feeling sorry for himself, he saw a woman leaving the building with a purse hanging from her shoulder by a strap. He thought to himself that in that pocket book contained money and that was the solution to his problems – money. He raised himself from the curb and ran over to the woman and grabbed her purse only to be thwarted by the strap holding it to her shoulder so he applied more strength only until the strap broke and the woman was knocked down to the garage floor. He immediately realized that his actions were wrong and all he would accomplish was to hurt this woman who had nothing to do with his problems. He helped the woman up and returned her purse to her and said he was sorry and had severe problems and that she should summon the police. (At this point let me define what would constitute grand larceny – when something of value is taken forcibly from the person of another.)
When the police arrived, sure enough he was charged with grand larceny and taken to jail. When we was brought before the magistrate he was formally charged and bail was set at $10,000. He was thrown in jail and there he languished until his court date. At the time of his trial he was given a public defender. He explained to this lawyer that he was on pain hilling drugs and Prozac, which might have caused him to act out. The attorney told him not to confess to taking any drug since the judge was anti-drugs and would sentence him to the maximum time. The attorney went on to say that if he took a plea and was told that, along with the plea, he would have to waive his appeal rights. He acquiesced to the plea conditions, feeling that he had no choice. When he came before the judge for sentencing, the judge gave Hank the maximum sentence in the guidelines. Ten years.