His Sanity Check Bounced
Joseph M. Velardo, 28, of Port St. Lucie, Fla., didn't want to go to law school. OK, so he's 28, so "just say no," right? Not this obliviot.
Velardo figured the best way was to commit a third-degree felony, so that he'd be ineligible to become a lawyer. He went into an office supply store Monday and allegedly stole more than $300 in merchandise.
"The suspect then came back inside the store and told the employees what he had done and told them to call the police," the responding officer said in his report. "He stated that he stole the merchandise because he wanted a 3rd degree felony on his record so he would not be allowed to go to law school."
Velardo pointed out to the officer that he broke the $300 theft threshhold, "and that was a felony so I had to take him to jail," the officer wrote.
The officer didn't cooperate: when the items were added up, their value totalled $276.88 -- so Velardo was charged with retail theft -- a misdemeanor.
Velardo knew about the $300 cutoff since he has a previous arrest for misdemeanor retail theft. Police say he is on medication for an unspecified "mental disorder".
But hey: at least he's sane enough to make sure he never becomes a lawyer!
Source: WPTV
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Posted by Lynne, Gresham, OR on June 4, 2010:
"It's only an observation in a microcosm, but it still sounds funny that mental incompetents are entitled to live, while competent people must die. The larger reality is, of course, more complicated."
It does sound odd put that way, but saying that mental incompetents can't be held accountable for their actions, whereas competent people can, seems to make sense to me.
We no longer try and execute livestock for their "crimes," but 150 or so years after M'Naghten, we're still very confused about how mental illness affects one's legal responsibility for one's behavior.
Posted by Anthony, Huntsville AL on June 4, 2010:
When I decided I wanted to get out of the military early I had to undergo a psych evaluation. If I could prove I was sane they would let me out. They seemed to get mad when I asked them to explain why they would want unstable person to stay in the military, carrying a weapon everyday.
Posted by John, Canada on July 28, 2010:
I just finished reading Atlas Shrugged, and got the same weird mental image when reading the comments here.