Man gets 120 years after taunting a judge

[Majic Walrus]

http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=882675&lang=eng_news

A man convicted of attempted murder and assault for firing at a SWAT team and wounding an officer in Washington state has been sentenced to 120 years in prison.

Clark County Superior Court Judge John Wulle (WOOL'-ee) handed down the sentence after 30-year-old Matthew Hastings yelled at the judge and taunted officers in the courtroom.
Hastings was convicted last month of shooting at a SWAT team during a 20-hour standoff in Vancouver in July 2007. The wounded officer has returned to duty.
At one point during the testy exchange Monday, Wulle told Hastings, "shut your damn mouth!" He then accepted the state's sentencing recommendation. The judge later apologized to anyone in the courtroom who was offended.

I guess you shouldn't tick of a judge.

 

[Immortalfire]

120 years...why can't they just say life?

 

[Majic Walrus]

Because apparently life is too harsh a punishment for just shooting at someone but 120 years is just right.

 

[Immortalfire]

American Justice

 

[huskerwebhead]

haha...owned.

 

[Manic]

Dear criminals,

You don't F with the judge.

 

[danielisthor]

I believe his sentence has more to do with parole eligibility than the actual punishment.

 

[Wylie Times]

120 years...why can't they just say life?

I've never gotten that either, they give people in their 30's and 40's 80 years in prison. That's basically a life sentence.

A judge shouldn't be handing out big sentences like that just because someone pisses him off in court though lol.

That guy should get at least 15 years though.

 

[Manic]

A judge shouldn't be handing out big sentences like that just because someone pisses him off in court though lol.

Maybe the man's taunts had a few threats sprinkled in for flavor.

 

[Wylie Times]

Maybe the man's taunts had a few threats sprinkled in for flavor.

Even then 30 years would have been enough. 150 years is like saying even after you die they'll have your remains locked up in a cell. lol

 

[Manic]

He can appeal and get his sentence reduced, can't he?

 

[The Guard]

Yes. He'll be back on the streets by dinnertime. .

 

[Wylie Times]

He can appeal and get his sentence reduced, can't he?

Yeah, him and his overworked court appointed attorney can probably get it knocked down to 110 years.

 

[terry78]

It's always better to get an exact number because one day while you be in prison, science may come back with a veageance and find a way to make us live for centuries... without the aging. So I would take the 100 years.

 

[DeGenerate10]

Imagine how many years Will Smith will get

 

[JRPJCDJC]

Yikes. I guess I'll have to rethink the little tirade I was planning for the next time I got arrested.

 

[Cunning Stunts]

120 years...why can't they just say life?

Because he received a certain number of years depending on his sentences. One "Life" sentence, if I recall correctly, is the number of years you have left given average life expectancy. The crimes he committed probably didn't warrant "life imprisonment", but when stacked, the sentences for all the crime combined equaled 120 years.

 

[Shemtov]

They just should of given him 70 years.

 

[Immortalfire]

Because he received a certain number of years depending on his sentences. One "Life" sentence, if I recall correctly, is the number of years you have left given average life expectancy. The crimes he committed probably didn't warrant "life imprisonment", but when stacked, the sentences for all the crime combined equaled 120 years.

 

[xisaacx]

I've never gotten that either, they give people in their 30's and 40's 80 years in prison. That's basically a life sentence.

A judge shouldn't be handing out big sentences like that just because someone pisses him off in court though lol.

That guy should get at least 15 years though.

He shot at an officer of the law originally which should get you life in jail enough.

 

[Wylie Times]

He shot at an officer of the law originally which should get you life in jail enough.

Jail is not supposed to just be a punishment. It's should be about punishment AND rehabilitation. Just tossing people in jail and throwing away the key doesn't do anything get us one step closer to having more people IN jail than out on the streets.

 

[danielisthor]

Jail is not supposed to just be a punishment. It's should be about punishment AND rehabilitation. Just tossing people in jail and throwing away the key doesn't do anything get us one step closer to having more people IN jail than out on the streets.

Who taught you that load of bulls**t. Do you actually believe that murderers, rapist and child molesters deserve rehabilitation?

Serving time in prison or jail is a punishment for commiting a crime.

 

[Manic]

Yeah, rehab clinics and some mental institutions are what you use for rehabilitation.

 

[JRPJCDJC]

Jail is not supposed to just be a punishment. It's should be about punishment AND rehabilitation. Just tossing people in jail and throwing away the key doesn't do anything get us one step closer to having more people IN jail than out on the streets.

So why keep them in jail? If someone commits murder they are executed.

Buuuuttttt... I can see a serious arguement based on the fact that society controlled them for so long that they really didn't have control over theirself.

Like I've said time and time again - blow it up.

 

[Wylie Times]

Who taught you that load of bulls**t. Do you actually believe that murderers, rapist and child molesters deserve rehabilitation?

Serving time in prison or jail is a punishment for commiting a crime.

Rapist and child molesters have been all but proven to not be receptive to any rehabilitation. I wasn't talking about them anyway so I'm not really sure why you brought that up.

Saying that if you murder someone you should be put to death or get life in jail is something said by people who see things in black and white and don't look at the bigger picture.

Putting away these people for life would be incredibly expensive and would put us in the postion of having more or just as many people IN jail than people out on the streets.

All murder/Homicide cases are not the same. If a kid kills a bully who has been harrassing him for years should he face the same fate as a gangbanger who kills 5 people in a drive by? Does a woman killing her husband who has abused her for years get the same treatment as a woman who poisons her husband just to collect an inheritence? While all of those situations results in the taking of a life and all those people should recieve a lengthy prison sentence, it's clear that not all of those people deserve life in jail or the death penalty.

If you don't lock them away for the rest of their lives or kill them that means they have to get out at some point, and when they do they at least need the opportunity to become productive members of society, not so much for their sake but for societies as a whole. Learning programs, psychiatric help, anger managment programs and the like.

Will this work for each and every person in jail for murder? Hell no, but it will work for some. I'm not saying nobody should get the death penalty or life, but I am saying you can't do that for every case, and the ones that don't qualify have to be punished but also be prepared for when their punishment is over.

*edit*

Also gotta factor in wrongful convictions. Can't be killing people all will nilly if there's a chance you might have the wrong guy.