Legal Commentary

Caroline Giuliani's Shoplifting Sentence: One Day of Community Service

By Jeralyn

Caroline Giuliani, Harvard student and daughter of Rudy Giuliani, will be sentenced to one day of community service for stealing $100 of makeup from Sephora. If she stays out of trouble for six months, the charge will be dismissed and she won't have a permanent record. New York prosecutors say she is not receiving special treatment, that's the standard punishment for such offenses.

It's interesting that a gram of cocaine, which also costs about $100, is a felony in many states and may result a prison sentence. Even federally, while a misdemeanor, it carries a penalty of up to a year in prison. Stealing involves a third party victim. Why should a gram of cocaine carry a greater penalty than stealing? This is just another example of our misguided drug policy.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 31, 2010 (boomark / email).