When Human Refuse Meets The Law

Are you interested in seeing what happens when idiots pass and enforce laws?  Embryos which might possibly save lives get trashed and hungry people who take unwanted produce out of the trash get six months of jail.  But seriously, folks, what else can you expect when you live in a country where mental midgets pass and enforce laws?  What happened to the two victims, Giles Charle and David Siller, involved a real prick of district attorney threatening them with a felony charge if they didn't plead guilty to misdemeanor trespassing.  Fighting the charge would give them the option of risking a felony conviction on the meager hope that a jury of their "peers" would (despite the letter of the law passed by the elected representatives of their "peers") acquit them of the charge (something known as "jury nullification") the district attorny would tell the jury members they absolutely must - on the basis of the law! - convict them of.

Now it is possible that Giles Charle had a prior conviction for shoplifting.  In fact, Giles Charle may be addicted to produce, for the Concord Monitor reports that a Giles Charle (in the New England vicinity) was charged with stealing $4.43 worth of salad.  But this, of course, is irrelevant.  In the first place, that information could not be brought up in a trial.  But more importantly, Giles took unwanted produce from a trash can.   Consider the following quote from the GJSentinel:

"We didn't have any intention of committing a crime or doing anything wrong," Charle told the Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper. "We had just come in town and we were prepared to buy groceries from a store but everything was closed."

How many people do you think would be aware of the fact that they might face a felony charge for taking produce from a trash bin?  It's wholly plausible that poor Giles had no idea whatsoever that he was breaking a morally questionable law.  (I am here reminded of of a verse from Scripture.  Look below the fold.)  Perhaps (supposing it's the same Giles) instead of stealing salad this time, Giles thought he'd do better to ease his aching stomach with garbage.  But good Americans didn't think he'd learned his lesson, and so the prosecuted him to the fullest extent of the law, threatened him with a felony conviction if he didn't plead guilty on the spot, neglected to provide him with the best chance at a legal defense against an unjust charge a moral pervert of a DA wanted to pad his record with, imposed a cruel and unusual sentence, and offered no ex post facto aid in his time of distress.

I want comments on what should happen to this district attorney (Kerry St. James).  How do you think his life should be ruined/destroyed?  Or do you think nothing should happen?  If the latter, I'd like some justification for what I'd be inclined to call your disgusting and perverse heartlessness.  Finally, why isn't a good lawyer working this case pro bono and doing everything in her power to try and withdraw this guilty plea?

Update: In fact, the fascist State prosecuted them even when the owner of the produce store did not want them prosecuted at all.  From the Times Leader:

Hieb said he told Assistant District Attorney Kerry St. James he didn't want the men prosecuted and thought his input would have carried some weight. He said if they were going to be prosecuted, 10 to 20 hours of community service would have been punishment enough.

For the Christian who might still be inclined to condemn these guiltless men:

At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.  But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.  But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;  How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?  But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.  But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day. (Matthew 12:1-8)

[Hat tip to No More Mr. Nice Guy.]