This is a tough call. Maybe the judge knows how violent this ex-con can be and he doesn't want someone getting hurt on his watch? I have to tell you, if I knew I was going to get this amount of time for such a cheesy offense, I would have taken something other than a bag of Tillamook shredded cheese! Some aged Gouda perhaps, how about some Parmigiano Reggiano:A Yolo County judge on Monday sentenced a man who walked out of a store with a package of cheese in his trousers to seven years and eight months in prison.
Prosecutors had originally sought a life sentence for Robert Ferguson under the state's "three strikes" law. They dropped that bid last month, saying a psychological report had convinced them that a life sentence wasn't warranted....
....No weapons or injuries were associated with his crimes, Brushia told the judge....
When it came time to sentence Ferguson on Monday, Judge Warriner chose a middle ground. He accepted a probation department recommendation to disregard the prior strikes and to sentence Ferguson to the upper term for petty theft with priors.
The judge gave Ferguson 825 days of credit for his time in jail awaiting trial and said Ferguson would be required to serve half his sentence in prison. He will be eligible for parole in less than three years.
...(read more)...
