zlacker

>>fortra+(OP)
Maximum sentence is 10 years, she's unlikely to get that, but _minimum_ is 5 years IIRC. That's a _long_ time. And then you're a felon and you can't find a decent job. What was the calculus there, I wonder? Under what circumstances would a person rationally consider torching a police cruiser to be worth the risk of 5 years in the slammer?

>>m0zg+Wc
Apparently she picked up an already burning piece of wood and threw it in. So it's less likely that she left the house that morning with the intent of torching cars.

In the moment, with everyone and everthing going on around her, I doubt she was thinking rationally or even knew that torching a car would be a long prison sentence. (if someone asked me before reading this article, I would have assumed a large fine + some community service maybe; then again I am not American so I have no idea how sentences compare).

>>koyote+5e
Think that's pretty much why people are torching cop cars. You'd have to get up pretty early to prove that person is a danger to society, but now their whole life is fucked which doesn't help anyone. We could however use a few hours a week to pickup park trash to better society and the lesson would probably be learned.

>>jethro+Zh
How much does a trash picker make per day? I assume it would take many year of trash picking to pay off that car.

>>noxer+Uj
That's true. Now take the value of a free trash picker and compare that against what we pay for incarceration for 5 years + the cost of the car. One is way more expensive. I'm not even against someone having to pay for the car a few dollars for the rest of their life. But you're not getting repayment for the car while someone is in prison.

>>jethro+jn
It's a deterrent for the next person that thinks about torching a police car

>>google+xq
Very unlikely tbh, but let her work an pay it of would certainly also have that effect if it gets a bit media attention.

I don't live in the US but I know someone who spray painted trains at night for a few year. That eventually did cost him a decent car. Obviously not as much as he caused damage over the years but enough to make some teens think twice whether a nice car or temporary colored train are their short term goals.