Crime, Lawsuit of the Day, Ridiculousness, Sentencing Law

Lawsuit of the Day: State v. Butts

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In our experience, the toilet paper in courthouse buildings isn’t worth stealing. It’s a far cry from Charmin.
But we’ve never been to central Iowa, where apparently courthouse visitors enjoy two-ply plushness. From the AP:

Police blame a woman named Butts for stealing toilet paper from a central Iowa courthouse, and while they’re chuckling, the theft charge could put her in prison.

“She’s facing potentially three years of incarceration for three rolls of toilet paper,” Chief Lon Walker said, stifling a laugh as he talked to KCCI-TV about Suzanne Marie Butts. “See, I can’t say it with a straight face.”

Why does such a minor offense carry such a severe punishment?

The fifth-degree theft charge, a misdemeanor, normally carries a sentence of less than a year in jail. But Butts could face more time if convicted under the state’s habitual offender law because she has prior theft convictions.

Three wipes and she’s out.
Butts Charged With Stealing Toilet Paper [Associated Press]

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