cornelius Anderson was recently arrested because he was sentenced to serve
13 years in prison more than a decade ago
however he never reported to serve his sentence the reason why is because no
one told him where to report or when to report now
let's %uh backup to 2000 when he was convicted
armed robbery it turns out that he and some friends out when into
ATI I believe it was our convenience store and
they attempted to rob I'm sorry the assistant manager
add a burger king in the area this is the 1999
you don't they had a BB gun but that person that they were trying to rob had
no idea so as a result they got caught
they got convicted I and armed robbery and he got sent in specifically
to 13 years they never told him where to report so
he never reported to prison so I didn't know that because I've never been in a
situation like that repel you go home and they like okay we're gonna send you
a letter and tell you where to report
yeah except literally was a in this case a clerical error
so he will be the first day where the second aviso
alright man reportedly don't tell me where to report he let you wouldn't even
know where to go
right exactly the way the year in two years anyone know there's like so some
people might argue hey you know what he was probably trying to hide from the
authorities he probably changes identity but no he didn't do any of that
so anytime up that he got convicted
up until now here's what he did he got married he raise three kids
I he learns a trade he was making no effort to conceal his identity or
whereabouts he was paying taxes and traffic tickets he renewed his driver's
license
he registered his three businesses and keep in mind he got stopped by the
police a few times because %uh some traffic violations
and nothing would come up because there was this huge Claire Claire
so in this period of time he was a model citizen he did nothing wrong he employed
people he was great
and the big argument is well we put people away to prison for
rehabilitation now we all know that that's not true oftentimes they go in
there and then they come out as hardened criminals
but nonetheless he got caught and the Missouri does Department of Corrections
discovered the clerical
air fairly recently so the eight decided to send a SWAT team to his home as he
was being as children
so they go in there with assault rifles they arrest him
and now he's sitting in jail and he's hoping that some way somehow
they'll let him go so I is not in
as easy question as I think it might appear mean
look he didn't do the crime and I we know now that it was a BB gun but at the
time the people I'm sure burger king was
were incredibly afraid and they thought it was a real good on any did
armed robbery Bay and so in america we have heavy sentences 13 years for armed
robbery is probably run average
I'd only anybody would argue that the time that he shouldn't
serve should ensure after he got convicted right
are you mine are you shoulda got less for that says it was a real gun but
that's a different question
I so now loaded if you get to live my life D then get to say well all's
forgiven
now let's change the equation are marvin is very serious it is okay now what if
it was rape
right right when it was murder and OE
then would you say well he's a model citizen we rebuilt 8 a.m.
sources like that read go over that murder go yet it's not as clear
right armed robbery is a violent crime right not some nonviolent drug offenders
or
you know some petty misdemeanor this is a violent crime he did get convicted
and you're absolutely right it's a really difficult story to rule on
because
on one hand he is a model citizen is doing everything right
but the our justice system does have that element of punishment and to know
that he did something that is considered a violent crime and was never punished
for it
makes me a little uneasy art so we're gonna have to have a serious Toit
Supreme Court on this so let's go and Robert no so I'm
really torn on this one you know look he's Inc appears to be a really good guy
in up obviously eat you one of the reasons we
lock people up is so they don't get to do more crime but it clearly didn't do
more crime
so prolly that was an issue I we see and talk about rehabilitation me
peers rebuilt a tip from day one realize what a stupid mistake that was in
I didn't have a record before so you know
II wanna let him go but the BB gun is was maybe I guess
a little easier on us in because you the sense that they were being stupid
as opposed to thinking that they might actually shoot and kill people right
right um but otherwise
it was a more heinous crime
you know I don't know it by saying I wish in
I was let go through justice Perry okay so first the ball
you have to take into account that there was incompetence here on that side
the Department of Corrections right rewind their clerical error
and as a result I feel like they should be published by it in some way
now he was convicted of a crime so he should be punished in some way as well
I believe that our our prison system should be used for rehabilitation
up and maybe a a little element a punishment but the
primary reason for it should be rehabilitation the Israel billet aidid
I don't think you should go back to prison however he does deserve some sort
of punishment for what he did
and I think the punishment should be I have define
mmm I I'm at it I like where you're going with that I wanna amended a little
bit okay
so in you should know one other fact I'm this is they're saying hey we're going
to time served
that's what his lawyers are arguing out but he didn't serve the times is
unlikely to work
but the only precedent is back in 1912 in Missouri there was a similar case
the clerks lawyers' back then were a little bit more understandable you for a
baby
I am but they said the guy free and they said okay was are bad like Anna said it
was their fault the first place so they
Olympic Committee mango are my suggestion is
13 years probation going forward
and a fine I don't care about you probation seems excessive like I
I mean I know you're saying but look good he got out he didn't serve
any other thirteen years he was supposed to serve and then
if our argument is that he's rehabilitated great that he won't do
anything wrong the next 13 you're not sure
alright fine I would I would take the probation Chief Justice we agree with me
had thirteen years seems too much for
it not being this fall unit in part due like
it wasn't like be great if you could give me like I we fucked up
get like K like
13 years too much like three I know that the the you know what
thing is him I keep thinking what if you ate but he didn't rape anyone he didn't
murder anyone and it was a BB gun so
and this is the case a problem us so I'm
let me reserve my final judgment until I hear from visiting justice
Bart who's filling in for Jerr BB gun
a 26 years probation you know what I'm
the visiting justice quite just indeed that's what I was going to do because
oh jesus is points was gonna lock it down to happen the
time have six years probation our decision is final
the are we
not merciful