Court says woman imprisoned for 12 years committed no crime

[UpInArms]

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20060202/REGION/102020045

CARSON CITY (AP) - A federal appeals court on Wednesday overturned the bad-checks conviction of a woman imprisoned in Nevada for 12 years, saying she did time "for conduct that is not a crime."

The 9th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Joni Goldyn, 59, a problem gambler convicted of five counts of writing bad checks in Las Vegas. Because she had four prior fraud-related convictions, she was sentenced to multiple life terms as a habitual criminal.

Goldyn spent 12 years in prison before the state Pardons Board, over objections of prosecutors who called her incorrigible, allowed her to seek a parole in 2001. After her release, she was placed on lifetime parole.

The San Francisco-based appeals court said it's undisputed that Goldyn lacked funds in her bank account, which she opened under an assumed name, to cover her checks. But the court added that Goldyn also had a check guarantee card, and the bank covered all the checks.

<snip>

"But failure to repay a loan is not a crime; the days of imprisoning insolvent debtors are long gone," the court said.

...more...

[FloridaPat]

1. Life sentence for writing bad checks? No wonder we have so many

people in jail. Then you look at Congress and * and the repubs in general and they are getting rich doing almost the same thing with the federal budget.

[NYC Liberal]

2. So that means we could lock up Bush for the deficit?

Hey, sounds good to me! Tack on a few years to the other crimes.

[Vidar]

3. We could lock up every politician by this logic. Not a bad idea.

[0rganism]

4. "the days of imprisoning insolvent debtors are" about to make a comeback

Our theocracy-fueled excursion to the 19th century is going to be a rude awakening for lots of people.

[abex]

5. what happens in vegas...

...ain't justice.

[annofark]

6. Danger to Society?

Nice to know that we are paying tax dollars to keep that dangerous criminal behind bars.