This is the feel good story of the day two idiot brothers in England each got suspended sentences for dealing marijuana. They were so proud of themselves that they immediately went on Facebook to boast about how they beat the system and what a jerk the judge was.

Can they do that? Word got back to the judge.  She had them picked up and brought back to the court and then she re-sentenced them to prison. The judge pointed out that a suspended sentence is appropriate when the defendant accepts responsibility and shows remorse.  She decided that the Facebook comments reflected their true beliefs rather than the show they put on in court earlier in the day.  Based on the Facebook comments, society would be better served with them on the inside looking out.

In my task force days an undercover entered into negotiations to buy an ounce of cocaine.  The deal was set for eight in the morning, then rescheduled for 10 am, and then lunch.  The crook insisted he had the dope, he just had something else he had to take care of first.

At about 2 pm the crook announced he was ready, agreed on a location and arrived on time to do the deal. Deal done, a small circle of the undercover’s friends and supporters joined the party and the crook found that he was the only one in the group not carrying a badge.

During the search, incident to the arrest, we discovered the reason for the delay.  He had spent the morning at the courthouse, three blocks away. He was waiting to confirm a plea bargain for deferred adjudication, for delivery of cocaine.  His arrest came less than an hour after his plea.

We took a great deal of delight in contacting the probation officer and assistant district attorney who engineered the deal.  To their credit, we were instructed to bring the crook directly to the courthouse.  A deputy met us on the sidewalk and took him back to the sentencing judge. In less than two hours the crook went from what in effect was probation for ten years, to fifteen years in prison.

I wish I could say that such an incident was an anomaly but it isn’t.  What I never understood was the fact situation where the defendant is arrested for dealing dope out of his home and the court gives him electronic monitoring  and “house arrest” as part of his sentence.  Dopers not being reliable, chances are you might find the dealer home, to deal dope six hours a day.  Then the court comes along and tells the dealer he has to stay home.  Now he is available to deal dope 24 hours a day.