SC serial killing suspect had long rap sheet

[Archangel M]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_sc_killing_spree

Burris had a long rap sheet filled with convictions for larceny, forgery and breaking and entering in states across the Southeast, including Florida, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. He had been paroled from a North Carolina prison in April after serving nearly eight years for felony breaking and entering and larceny.


"Look at this," Lloyd said, waving a stapled copy of Burris' criminal record. "This is like 25 pages. At some point the criminal justice system is going to need to explain why this suspect was out on the street."

Indeed...I keep harping on this again and again. They thought that the "3 strikes" law would keep people like this off the streets, but they fail to realize how many scumbags like this never manage to get 3 felony convictions even after a lifetime of hurting people.....how about a 10-20 misdemeanor conviction and your out law?


BTW...

Patrick Burris, 41, was shot to death by officers investigating a burglary complaint at a home in Gastonia, N.C., 30 miles from where the killing spree started June 27. Ballistics tests showed his gun matched the one used to kill residents in and around Gaffney over six days last week, said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Reggie Lloyd.

Great job guys.

 

[Carol]

Has the Three Strikes law actually impaired the prosecution of crimes?

For example, say a perp with a couple priors beats up another guy over a stupid argument. The crime meets the state definition of felony assault, the DA charges the perp with a misdemeanor because they don't think they can get the jury to agree on sending the guy away for life?

 

[Archangel M]

I think the problem lies in mandated sentencing. There should be some sort of leeway for putting guys like this away for longer periods...the more arrests you pile up the longer your term gets...something of that nature.

 

[Archangel M]

I think it pretty much a guarantee that when you release a guy with 20-30 priors its simply just a waiting game till he gets caught again. Hopefully not for homicide.

 

[jks9199]

Has the Three Strikes law actually impaired the prosecution of crimes?

For example, say a perp with a couple priors beats up another guy over a stupid argument. The crime meets the state definition of felony assault, the DA charges the perp with a misdemeanor because they don't think they can get the jury to agree on sending the guy away for life?

I don't know and it would be tough to figure out, I think. That's just not a statistic anyone really tracks.

I am pretty confident, though, that 3 strikes laws have led to some people resisting arrest and fighting harder either in the street or at trial than they would have otherwise, because they know that they're looking at life for a shoplifting charge...

I'm also willing to bet that that more folks are pleading to misdemeanors to avoid being in a 3 strikes position... which kind argues both sides of the issue!

I've run into a related issue lately when dealing with illegal immigrants. A not-particularly-well-known quirk of the federal system defines many offenses as "felonies" if the punishment is a year or more -- even if it's suspended in total or a state misdemeanor. We've used this provision to get rid of some problem cases, by offering a plea on a misdemeanor with a year's suspended sentence, knowing that they'll be deported. Defendants and their counsel have gotten wise to this, and have been known to insist on 364 days, even if they had to do some of the time...

 

[Joab]

The cop who shot and killed Burris saved the tax payers a lot of money, good shooting! Burris was actually a spree killer not a serial killer according to a profiler I heard on CNN. A serial killer kills and doesn't want to get caught. He will kill someone, go back to their job, lay low for awhile and than kill again. Burris was killing a whole lot in a short period of time and wanted to get shot and go down in a blaze of glory. Serial killers's like reading about themselves in the papers, would rather be arrested and go to jail, at least according to the profiler.

 

[MJS]

This guy is a repeat offender and give the nature of his past crimes, apparently wasn't getting the message, therefore, he should've been locked up for many years. I have to laugh when I see rap sheets of the 'regulars' where I work. 30+ arrests, many of them nollied, the list goes on and on and on, and I think to myself, "This guys been arrested 30 times, spent a few months, maybe a year or 2 in prison, now he's back on the street!??!?!?!?! Its amazing, and sad at the same time.

Maybe instead of enacting a 3 strikes law for violent crimes, they should enact one, that states that regardless of what crime the person did, if they end up before a judge 3 times, send their *** to jail. They obviously have no regard for the law, as well as no desire to make their life better, so lock their *** up and keep locking it up, every time after that as well.

 

[Grenadier]

Indeed...I keep harping on this again and again. They thought that the "3 strikes" law would keep people like this off the streets, but they fail to realize how many scumbags like this never manage to get 3 felony convictions even after a lifetime of hurting people.....how about a 10-20 misdemeanor conviction and your out law?

The "Three Strikes and You're Out" laws are state-implemented, not federal. If I recall correctly, neither of the Carolinas have such a law implemented.

 

[celtic_crippler]

I think the problem lies in mandated sentencing. There should be some sort of leeway for putting guys like this away for longer periods...the more arrests you pile up the longer your term gets...something of that nature.

But that would make too much sense!

And also don't forget, criminals are people too and they're feelings are just as fragile and need to be taken into consideration.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I am sorry but anyone with a rap sheet that long is a career criminal and should not be anywhere but prison for life, not living in any community in the usa.

 

[Empty Hands]

The priors were apparently for non-violent offences, forgery, B&E, etc. None of those offenses would suggest a potential serial killer. It would be unjust to treat every repeat thief like a serial killer, and put them away for life "just in case."

 

[celtic_crippler]

The priors were apparently for non-violent offences, forgery, B&E, etc. None of those offenses would suggest a potential serial killer. It would be unjust to treat every repeat thief like a serial killer, and put them away for life "just in case."

What would you suggest be done with repeat offenders? Obviously, if they're repeat offenders the previous punishments have done nothing to curtail their behavior.

 

[Archangel M]

Heh...I already have my "minority report" technique for figuring out who is going to commit a crime in the future.

You have a person with 50 prior arrests and you set him loose for the 50th time...hes going to commit another crime.

 

[Empty Hands]

What would you suggest be done with repeat offenders?

Prosecute, and if convicted, punish each offense as the law allows. Sentencing can also take priors into account, although AFAIK the sentencing cannot go beyond the bounds of the punishment allowed for by law. This seems right to me. Deciding that if someone commits enough lesser crimes then they should be put away for life, as only murderers are, strikes me as unjust.

Obviously, if they're repeat offenders the previous punishments have done nothing to curtail their behavior.

Indeed. Not that I really have the perfect solution, but life in prison doesn't strike me as the right thing to do. I mean, how far do we want to take this? Someone above suggested "three strikes" treatment for multiple misdemeanors. How long before someone who shoplifts gum 10 times or gets multiple misdemeanor driving charges is put away for life?

Especially since all of us break the law on a regular basis. How could we not? The code is massive, beyond the knowledge of any one person, and "ignorance of the law is no defense." We have enough of our population in prison as it is.

 

[Archangel M]

Ahhh...many of us commit violation level offenses, mostly traffic offenses....how many of us are committing misdemeanors on a daily basis?

People make mistakes all the time. Make bad decisions, but 20-30-50...Ive seen rap sheets with 80+ prior offenses and hardly ANY jail time served!

BTW..Im not proposing a "Three Strikes" law for misdemeanor offenses. Im suggesting a proportionally increasing sentencing system that takes the number of prior arrests into account. Once you have 10-20 priors, you should be seeing the inside of a correctional facility. Maybe once you hit 50-80 priors then you should be permanently removed from society.

Im also against concurrent sentencing, at least for crimes with multiple victims.

 

[celtic_crippler]

I like the idea of a graduating system of sentencing where each prior can, no...would add time to the established conviction of the most recent.

Of course...that could mean that eventually one could wind up behind bars for life, or close to it, for a vast series of misdemeanors.

The important thing NOT to forget while we discuss how unfair it is to over-punish repeat offenders is the fact that other, law-abiding and peaceful folks, are being victimized by these people...repeatedly.

So where's the line? When does it no longer become acceptable for a repeat offender to continuously offend the public or even be given a chance to do so again?

 

[Archangel M]

Since we are just playing around here:

With this "graduated sentencing" idea, there would have to be a "tripwire" of some sort....so many convictions and you get the "treatment". I think that there would also have to be consideration for the offense. 5 priors for B&E is different from 20 priors for shoplifting and so on.

 

[celtic_crippler]

Since we are just playing around here:

With this "graduated sentencing" idea, there would have to be a "tripwire" of some sort....so many convictions and you get the "treatment". I think that there would also have to be consideration for the offense. 5 priors for B&E is different from 20 priors for shoplifting and so on.

Naw...I say keep it simple.

Misdemeanors get so many "points" and felonies get so many "points". Points could equate to time or severity and as we all know, points add up.

You get convicted of another crime, and the judge adds up the points and there's the sentence. There ya go.

 

[MJS]

The priors were apparently for non-violent offences, forgery, B&E, etc. None of those offenses would suggest a potential serial killer. It would be unjust to treat every repeat thief like a serial killer, and put them away for life "just in case."

So just because the crimes may not have been as violent as murder, rape, mass murder, etc., the person should be excused from jail time? I disagree. Something is wrong with them, if they constantly have the need to break the law. In that case, get them help. If the help isnt working, lock their *** up. The streets are better off without them.

I wonder how many repeat offenders Sheriff Joe has out in AZ? Hmmmm..... maybe if more prisons were like that, the inmates would have a different outlook on things.

 

[MJS]

Ahhh...many of us commit violation level offenses, mostly traffic offenses....how many of us are committing misdemeanors on a daily basis?

People make mistakes all the time. Make bad decisions, but 20-30-50...Ive seen rap sheets with 80+ prior offenses and hardly ANY jail time served!

BTW..Im not proposing a "Three Strikes" law for misdemeanor offenses. Im suggesting a proportionally increasing sentencing system that takes the number of prior arrests into account. Once you have 10-20 priors, you should be seeing the inside of a correctional facility. Maybe once you hit 50-80 priors then you should be permanently removed from society.

Im also against concurrent sentencing, at least for crimes with multiple victims.

And THIS is what I'm talking about. I'm shocked at the number of arrests that I see, yet so many of the charges nolled and little to no jail time.