20 Complaints...Lots of damage and some STUPID JUDGE released these Lowlifes!!!What A FARCE.

And why is it that you would call the judge stupid? The judge is following standards for dealing with such situations which have been developed over time by the entire system. They still have to appear before the court to answer to the charges.

Our system works in such a way that those who are not deemed to be a danger to society and are not likely to flee, can be released until a trial is held and they are found guilty.

Now, if you wish to change the system, are you ready to pay more taxes to double the jail space and provide the personpower to supervise them?

Yes Owl I am ....Keep the LOWLIFES IN JAIL....I called the Judge Stupid ...Because he is! As are all you bleeding hearted fools, Damm liberal thinking asses

You know Don, if you would not swear and resort to name calling like that some people might take you a little bit more seriously.

You are hardly creating a civil environment here. Whether it is left, right or centre, people in gneral are quite reasonable in their posting.

I wonder if in actual fact you are a real nice guy to work with and you just need a place to vent every now.

....... and then.

:-)

I agree with you Owl, it would be a waste of time and money to lock these goofs up, but it is frustrating to let them loose so quickly and conveniently.
I suspect that Don`s frustration is within all of us.

I just hope that these fellows, if found guilty, get some immense amount of community service time as well as a fine as well as compensating the insurance companies who are paying for the damage.

"..all you bleeding hearted fools, Damm liberal thinking asses.."

Don Mackenzie, are you serious?!? Thank you for making ALL of us look so intelligent and sensible. I've had my disagreements with many posters INCLUDING owl from time to time :) but they always remain in the realm of differences of opinion.

But it is a sign (hopefully) of our growth as a society and as individuals to be able to debate in a rational manner. Your posts rarely if ever add anything to the discussion other than to LOUDLY proclaim your point of view (which I might add is not often shared by many).

I think you should also remember to take a moment and think about the type of environment you are participating in. I would truly be astonished if you behaved the way you do in the "real-world". The people that visit this website and that engage in discussions are still real people with real lives. The fact that you are hidden behind a screen name does not change that.

Now that I've had my say about that.... Vandalism is an aggravating, pointless and costly endeavour. But let's not jump off the dock here. Teenagers vandalising property (around Grad time I might add) is hardly a shocking new development.

Of course we have the right to be angry about this type of thing, but perhaps we should remember that many MANY of us have had indiscretions in our lives (especially when we were teenagers). Instances like this help to teach us "adults" what the real repercussions are.

OK people..20 Complaints at $300.00 per Complaint a lot of MONEY for a working Family, Can you people that disagree with me afford $300.00, every time some fool break your window, keys your car, or does anything else to your property, I bet not.

$300.00 Deductible. Every one of the 20 will have to pay a deductible!!!!!!

Point well taken!

Look at the good side; the glass companies are going to be kept busy.

And there may be the option for these "adults" to be sued in civil court by not only the victims, but also the insurance companies. I wonder how that will impact on the "guilty" parties resumes.

Hmmmmmmmmmm. Wonder if they will be able to keep their jobs.

Firstly, I'll shed some light on the "Catch and Release Program". An arrested person is entitled to be released from custody, following arrest, unless the prosecutor or arresting officer in this case can show that there is just cause to hold the person in custody. This is in the Charter. There are three categories of just cause:

Primary Grounds - Flight risk or risk of Fail To Appear

Secondary Grounds - Protection of the public and/or to prevent obstruction of justice

Tertiary Grounds - Maintain public confidence in the system and all other just cause that may apply

You can try to make a case on 1, 2 or all 3 if you like, but you have to make a case or Johnny goes free on a Recognizance or other document.

Most people are released on some sort of court order to re-appear at a later date.

This is not what bothers me, except in cases where the Judge or JP should have kept them in for good reason.

What bothers me is the lack of punishment fitting the crime. I would like to see forced labor come back into the picture. It is not cruel, we are all forced to work every day and Amnesty International is not camping on my doorstep about it. I would like to see productive, marketable, profitable work done, with the proceeds being paid to the offender in a credit-type account. When you have earned enough to pay for your misdoings, you are eligible for release. I think if you break a window and are forced to pay for the complete replacement cost, you will definitely choose a cheaper habit in the future.
That is the only thing that will change people's behaviour, look at traffic fines as an example.
They are not scared to make the working man pay for his indiscretions, so why not the criminal ?

Probation is a free ride and so is house arrest.
Conditional Discharge and such things should be reserved for offences with strong mitigating circumstances. The government went on a big Restorative Justice campaign a few years ago, which included reparation. Everybody liked the idea and it never really was implemented the way we envisioned it. We envisioned more of a "you break it, you buy it" type of deal.

The only way people truly learn a lesson is via reparation and that's where we need to go with property crimes. Violent offences still require the use of incarceration and that will likely continue to be the case.

For property crimes, reparation paired with a community supervision order such as Probation are the medicine the doctor prescribes.

My solution is to fine each one of them 7 times the cost of the damage they caused. This is to be worked off immediately after they are charged. They can continue with their existing jobs (if they have one) or they can go to work for the municipality or the province.

Putting them in the Hilton on the hill is not a solution for these vandals who are not really dangerous criminals. Sending them home to mommy and daddy is also not appropriate.

Picking up garbage, cutting down dead trees, fighting forest fires and scrapping the gum off of our sidewalks comes to mind. Chester

You have to think about what is supposed to be achieved by the punishment. Most of what is the usual punishment these days just make these guys smirk and giggle.

On the other hand we should try something different and more relevant to the criminal's world. Pulling down their pants and paddling their ass is the cheapest and most humiliting experience these guys would not be in hurry to repeat. Not a public flogging, just a private room, no heroics or parade - just couple witnesses, a cane and their bare ass. Then they are free to go. Oh, and don't come back or you will get an extra couple next time.

Ah forget it - what would the courts and judges do without their regular criminals?

In some European countries parents HAVE to purchase liability insurance for their children until they are over eighteen years of age.

A six year old child can play with matches and burn down a million dollar apartment complex next door or across the street.

Parents are liable as they are required to supervise their children until they are adults.

If parents can afford expensive insurance premiums for their SUV or Motorhome they should be prepared to pay insurance premiums for their children.

This way damages are paid and premiums increase to reflect anti-social vandalism and destruction of private and public property.

Don is right when he says that he is very frustrated - the judges have to follow the law which is far too lenient when it comes to young offenders and what about the responsibility that parents should have in respect to their children who think vandalism is a joke?

What bothers me the most is that the law protects these lovely children and we never get to find out who they are. Their names and pictures should be posted in the local paper.It is the same crap if they drive a car. If they are old enough to legally drive then the public should have the right to know who they are when convicted.

I think this holds true for the western world, we are great at trying to fix our problems. What amazes me is the fact that we take so little time to see what the cause might be.
Why did these young people cause all the damage they did? Is it because there are no bad young people but rather bad parenting.

And Don is your anger showing in your children if you should happen to have a family?
Time will tell.

KIMBO...I have 4 Children 8 Grandchildren NONE have been in Trouble with the Law...My Children are all in their 30s some of Grandchildren are in their late teens...so I do not think you have.... to worry.....By the way you have never seen me ANGRY...Just frustration showing..Have a nice day

I have met two of Don`s children and they are hard working adults. I first met them in their teens and they were hard working then.

Don is an old friend of mine although I haven`t seen him in a decade.

Personally I enjoy his thought process. It kind of keeps me from swinging to far to the right. He keeps me "centred"?

I like the liability insurance idea the best.
Not interested in being a good parent ? Just cut me a cheque. I bet most parents get really "involved" after an activity such as this occurs.